My Unconventional Mask
by ItzRayz
Summary: Living day by day as a pretender, Uzumaki Naruto was known as the scorn of Konoha; cast aside by society. Their actions eventually led to the creation of a mask but what happens when that mask starts to crack? A Hanabi x Naruto story.
1. An Everyday Routine

**My Unconventional Mask**

**Summary:** Living day by day as a pretender, Uzumaki Naruto was known as the scorn of Konoha; cast aside by society. Their actions eventually led to the creation of a mask but what happens when that mask starts to crack? [Angst x Romance]

**Author's Personal Statement:** This will be a Hanabi x Naruto fiction. No, they are not children, they are young adults, ages 21 and 26 respectfully. I do not, in any shape or form, own Naruto the series or the characters. I own this story idea though.

Thanks to Wilson for being my outstanding beta. Kudos bro!

There's an author's note at the bottom, please take a look at that when you're done.

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Naruto's POV

Have you ever wondered… why people found the idea of masks so appealing? Granted that a mask has several uses, it is nothing more than an empty cage to keep yourself in and others out.

You don't have to take my word for it; I'm only telling you what I think… not that it matters anyway…

My opinion never really mattered. Everything that came out of my mouth, every word, every sentence, was treated as background noise; like the sounds of a running brook or winds rustling along the trees. It just didn't matter.

I was just another soldier, someone with a name for convenience and with the duty of laying down my life at any given moment.

Uzumaki Naruto…

That's the name I grew up with, the name that I had grown accustomed to and the name that made people spit whenever it came up.

That's right… I am Uzumaki Naruto, a Konoha ninja with a Chunnin Rank. I have been denied my Jounin promotion continuously for the last three years. It was only a miracle that I made Chunnin, seeing as how they couldn't send genins to the front line.

They deemed my skills worthy enough to be Chunnin but unworthy for Jounin. I knew deep down inside, I had the skills to be in ANBU but I never let my anger get the best of me. I wouldn't let it slip past my mask…

This was the very same mask that I wore for twenty-six long years. On the outside, everyone saw a bumbling idiot, an incompetent fool and I was more than willing to play the part. I considered it my punishment for what happened 5 years ago…

Everywhere I went, I always kept it on; never once taking it off. I couldn't. This was the only path opened to me, the path of a Jinchuuriki.

Once… a long time ago… it was considered an S-Rank secret. Speaking it would mean absolute death but now, it was no longer a secret. The council couldn't keep it under wraps anymore and by morning, the entire population knew.

That was why adults would sneer and spit at my feet whenever they saw me.

It was also why children threw projectiles at me; rocks, tomatoes, cabbages and anything their parents could give them or whatever they could get their hands on.

I didn't have to read their minds to know what they were thinking, the look on their face said it all.

_Filthy Jinchuuriki._

_Bastard demon._

I could hear them… all the curses and insults whenever they mumbled it under their breath.

It was the curse that Kyuubi marked me with. It began as a gift, the demon explaining that with enhanced hearing, I would be able to hear the enemy from miles away but it came with a very steep price.

At that time, I admit, I was desperate. Akatsuki began its move, already capturing all of the Jinchuuriki but one. Me.

Their goal was to arrive in Konoha and tear the village apart looking for me but I wasn't there. Even though they found my whereabouts, they still tore the village apart.

Even after I rushed back and defeated Pein, I was still blamed for the mayhem and destruction. Sentenced to three weeks of outpost duty near the borders and my Jounin promotion suspended indefinitely.

No matter how harsh their punishments were, I took it; with the same mask on my face.

I never took it off, not even when I watched my team get caught in an ambush, when they died in my hands because I know, I was going to be blamed for it.

Years after the defeat of Pein, the members of Akatsuki went their separate ways, their numbers dwindling down.

It was decided that after the Pein catrostophe, I was to be labeled as a danger hazard, a demon waiting to break out and wreck havoc and so, I was to be kept under watch at all time.

Everywhere I looked, I could sense ANBU everywhere, their eyes trained on my every movement. They thought I wouldn't be able to sense them but I knew better. I just ignored them, staying in my apartment located in the slums of Konoha.

It was the best I could do, after being evicted from my old apartment. No landlord would rent me an apartment, no matter how high or ridiculous they made their rent. It was only after Kakashi stepped in that one landlord eventually gave me a place. No one dared to oppose the Hokage…

There was only one word to describe my apartment, horrible. Located in the poorest section in Konoha and being right at the village walls, it was always overlooked by everyone. I was alone here, my neighbors avoiding me like the plague.

I didn't mind the solitude; no one wanted to talk to me voluntarily anyway. I convinced myself that it was for the best.

As my cold blue eyes stared at the ground, the building's shadow appeared; an indication that the sun was rising and morning was here once again. I sighed and pushed myself off my mattress, stretching my arms before going to freshen up.

That's right; I didn't own a bed, only a mattress with a messed up pillow and a blanket that didn't even cover my body.

But that wasn't the bad part. I could sleep on the floor or in a tree with no problem. The problem was the utilities because since this place was located at the edge of the slums, there was no plumbing or electricity here. I had to leave my apartment and go off into the jungle, to my regular spot along the river to freshen up and bathe.

Somewhere along the way, the ANBU would disappear, because they know as well as I do, I wouldn't leave the village.

Feeling the icy water splashed against my skin made me shiver slightly. I took the moment to enjoy the sensation, the frosty liquid dripping down my face.

The cold and I were similar in many ways. Both of us were one of a kind. There was only one cold and there was only one Uzumaki Naruto. With warmth, there was warm and hot, each holding a different meaning but with cold, you were either cold or you weren't. It was as simple as that.

I heard my stomach grumbling, telling me that it was time for breakfast or lunch. I didn't remember what time it was, after spending so much time out here in the jungle. All I knew was that I was hungry and it was time to eat.

Being stuck as a Chunnin meant living with the shitty pay and the amount of missions that a Chunnin was allowed to take.

To me, food was a luxury. If I could afford it, then I would eat. If I can't, then it's too bad. I learned that lesson a long time ago.

As I leaped out of the Shi no Mon, AKA the Forest of Death, I felt the sun shining on my face, the warmth that I missed. Taking a deep breathe, I found myself enchanted with an aroma that I also missed.

The smell of freshly made ramen almost made me drool. Keyword, almost. Giving myself enough distance between the Ramen stall and my landing, I figured that a five minute walk would be enough to build my appetite.

As I walked closer, I saw that the old man actually had customers, which meant that it was lunchtime. I felt myself feeling uneasy as I walked into the stall, feeling their stares on me but it didn't matter. I turned to them and smiled, greeting them before taking a seat far in the corner.

There were two men sitting there, obviously ninjas, turned and glared at me, like I was ruining their appetite. I didn't blame them, it happened every time I walked in here. People would get up, complain about how everything went to hell and in the end, Teuchi would end up apologizing and the customers would walk out without paying, gaining a free meal on my expense.

It disgusted me how people can behave like this but all I could do was apologize and smile. If I did anything else, it would make matters worse for the old man.

"Hn, I don't feel like eating anymore."

And so it begins. The bigger of the two stood up. Akego, I believe his name was, is a well respected Jounin in the community and he usually got his way.

"Is there a problem with the food sir?" Teuchi asked, already knowing the answer. I think he only did it as an attempt to calm his customers down.

"Yeah, the meal tastes like crap. I can't eat this!"

Seeing the hurt look on the old man's face, I turned around and started walking out, not once looking back. I couldn't stay here. I was the reason why the old man was losing money. I was always the problem here…

I can hear the old man yelling my name, telling me not to leave but I just waved my hand, dismissing his call. He continued yelling but I continued walking, doing everything in my will to not give into his pleads. I casually threw him a fake smile and disappeared with a shunshin. I was foolish to think that today would be the first time in a while that I can have ramen but I was obviously mistaken. It looks like I wouldn't be having lunch today either.

Teuchi was the only restaurant owner that actually considered me a normal human being, unlike the rest of the population. Even when I was little, before I knew about the Kyuubi, the old man welcomed me with open arms. He didn't give a damn about what people thought. That kind smile never left his aging face as I grew up. Throughout my adolescent years to my adult years, Teuchi always stuck by my side but I come to realize that he too, also had a mask.

Being someone who went through life with a mask, I could tell that his business was slowly falling apart. Many times, he would claim that he didn't need customers like them but I knew the truth. He did.

The old man wasn't making enough now to get by and it was my fault. No one wanted to eat at the same place that served a demon. It was considered taboo. My resolve only grew stronger, and I was determined to leave the man alone so he can gather some decent business. On some occasions, I found myself standing on an empty rooftop, staring off into the streets. I could see potential customers cautiously peeking in, making sure the coast was clear. If the demon wasn't there, they would enter and have a good time but if I was there, the place was emptier than water in a desert.

Once I realized what the problem was, it was clear to me that I had to stay away; relying on myself yet once again to survive.

Making my way across rooftops, I ignored my hunger pains and headed for the Hokage Tower, hoping to get a decent mission to make my living arrangements easier for the next month.

For the past few years, my missions were frequently solo missions. I wasn't given team missions anymore, which made Kakashi comment about how childish they were being.

Having my former sensei turned Hokage was something I never expected. He was Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Ninja, the laziest ninja in Konoha. While his strength was on par with the legendarily Sannins, his attitude never changed. From one man that wore a mask to another, he was able to recognize my mask instantly.

I had one throughout my childhood, always putting on the mask of a fool. He kept telling me to drop the act and be myself but he never saw reality through my eyes. If he did, he wouldn't be proposing such a ludicrous comment. As I progressed through life, he saw that I was hiding deeper and deeper into my mask and he thought that one day, I was going to be buried under it.

In an attempt to pull me back, he set up weekly gatherings for the former rookies. At first, it was… tolerable. They were somewhat eager to see me but this was before they realized what I am. I will admit, I almost wanted to come out of my mask but soon after that event, everyone disappeared on me.

It was like those last few months never really existed and then… life just continued on like normal.

Kakashi continued to push for the weekly gatherings but it wasn't the same anymore. The rookies showed up but their expressions were guarded and I knew why. It was because the news of the events was leaked into the public and they knew.

Everyone knew what happened that day, and the looks in their eyes said volumes. I stopped showing up and no one ever bothered to contact me, to find me. Even the ANBU were hesitant to watch me.

I knocked on the mahogany door, ignoring the cold glances the secretary was giving me. I could hear her swearing under her breath, cursing about my presence.

"Come in." Kakashi's lazy voice echoed through the door. I easily pushed it open and saw Kakashi frowning under his mask.

"I'm here for my weekly mission."

Kakashi didn't look up, which was weird. He always greeted me with a genuine smile but today, his mood was different and my guess was that piece of paper that he had on his desk.

"Kakashi?" I spoke up again, raising my voice slightly. His eyes rose up, looking at me and back at the paper before letting out a small sigh.

"Long time no see Naruto."

"Is something the matter?" I asked. "Did someone fall into a… ditch again?" My attempt of humor was rather hesitant because I wasn't sure if this was the appropriate time for jokes. With no actual friends, I was often alone with my thoughts and without someone to converse with; I wasn't comfortable in situations like this.

But luckily, my poor attempt brought some amusement into Kakashi. I heard a small chuckle from him as he pushed the folder over. "Read it and tell me what you think."

He didn't have to ask me, I was going to accept it either way. My financial situation wasn't great but it wasn't poor either. With the amount of money I have now, I would lucky enough to make it to the next month.

My eyes quickly glanced over the report, picking up words such as 'Rice', 'Trapped', 'Enemies' and 'Help'. "I'll take it." I answered without a second thought.

Kakashi sighed as he leaned back into his chair, "You didn't read it."

Those words came out more as a statement instead of a question, which surprised me. "Of course I read it." I answered back, not willing to let my former sensei get the better of me; I just smiled and shook my head. "I read enough Kakashi. What else is there for me to know?"

"Have I taught you nothing Naruto? Always look underneath the underneath!" Kakashi replied with slight anger in his tone. "This is a damn suicide mission. Those fools are sending you out on a _suicide mission. They_ want you _dead_!"

So it finally came to this. I had my suspicions that my last few missions were somewhat suicidal and if anyone else but me took them, they would have surely been dead. If Kakashi thought I was going to be shocked, he was mistaken. I merely smiled through my mask, which caused the man to frown even more.

"It's not a joke Naruto. I don't want you to take this. I can get you other missions; I can do something else for you…"

Kakashi was one of the few people that didn't resent me for who I am or what I did. He understood my pain and that was something I was grateful for but I couldn't accept his pity. I swore to myself a long time ago that I would never accept pity.

"A true ninja would never turn down a mission, especially if it benefits the village as a whole." I replied, quoting the words of a wise man.

Kakashi's eye only narrowed when he recognized the sentence. "The third was naïve; he had no clue what he was saying. If he was alive to see you now, he would beat you into the ground senseless."

I grabbed the piece of paper and signed my name, showing the Hokage my signature as proof that I accepted the mission. "It doesn't matter Kakashi, I have a team to save."

"… just be careful will you?" Defeat in his voice, Kakashi pulled the piece of paper back and added his signature to the paper as well. "It doesn't have to be like this Naruto…"

"But it can't be helped…" I replied before leaving the office. For the first time, I didn't see a great man sitting behind the desk, I saw a tired and exhausted man. I quietly shut the door and disappeared in a shunshin, making my way back to my poor apartment.

It didn't take me long, I was somewhat eager to leave the village. Being in here, I was only trapping myself but out there, I was finally free from the hatred, the glares and cold shoulders, even if it was just for a limited time. Having grown up alone, I had never once taken a blessing in disguise for granted.

My apartment wasn't something that I could call home. Hell, I wasn't even there all the time. I spent most of my nights at the training grounds, sleeping against a tree whenever I exhausted myself training.

Training was the only thing that distracted me. Jiraiya pointed out a valuable fact to me. He said that no matter how shitty life is, how defeated and miserable I get, the sweat I get from training was the one thing that would never betray me.

People might betray you but your fists would not.

To this day, I lived by his philosophy. He was more than a mentor to me, he was a fatherly figure. In some ways, he was like the dad that I never had. He looked after me like his own son but when he passed away, I felt my world shatter.

Entering through the door, I walked past my empty kitchen, grabbing the only few things that I own. There was really nothing in this apartment. It was plain and depressing. I didn't feel the need to decorate because no matter what I did, an apartment in the slums was an apartment in the slums. The mood couldn't be fixed.

I took out a set of kunais, the only things that were worth money in this apartment but even if someone came and stole these kunais, they wouldn't get much out of it. These kunais were in poor condition, made out of cheap metals. I couldn't afford the normal quality that most ninjas had. I purchased this set on one of my travels and polished them myself. The weapon store here in Konoha wouldn't do business with me, which was troublesome at times but I made peace with it.

During my missions, I would pilfer the weapons of my enemies, adding them to my own arsenal. Doing this was frowned upon but I didn't mind, I needed the weapons since TenTen made it clear to me that as long as I was still breathing, I was never allowed to step foot inside her store.

Of course, she said it in a harsher tone but it didn't matter. If that was her wish, then I will completely abide by it.

Putting the kunais into my weapon holster and tightening the bandages around my ribs, my eyes wandered over to the picture frame sitting next to an unopened letter from Gaara. It was a picture that meant the world to me. On it was people that I considered part of my family. It was a picture of me and the two sannins, Jiraiya and Tsunade.

I sighed as I picked up the picture frame, wiping off the dust. I couldn't help but feel a pang of loneliness in my chest as I stared into it. I didn't have any other pictures in this place; this was the only one so I considered it special. I wasn't like other people that had a billion pictures of their friends and family, I only had one but it was more than enough.

I remember Tsunade pulling a reluctant Jiraiya as we posed for this family portrait. The Toad Sannin was rather wary of the idea but after some threats, the man eventually agreed. No matter how much those two argued, I couldn't help but smile at the relationship they had. It was clear to me that there was something more than friends behind it but I never questioned it. It wasn't my place.

I put the frame back down and decided to visit Tsunade, who resided in the village after much persuasion from Kakashi. Originally, Tsunade was to take up the mantel of the fifth but she wouldn't have it. She opted to be the head of the hospital which left Kakashi the only other choice. I chuckled at the memory; the Cyclops Ninja threw a fit, cursing at the Slug Sannin for running away from her destiny. She merely giggled and wished him the best of luck. Even Jiraiya pitied the new Hokage, promising him a brand new Icha Icha Paradise soon.

I took one last around and walked out the door, locking it incase someone decides to break in. With a quick shunshin, I made my way over to Tsunade's mansion, which was located behind the Hokage Monument. Apparently, she inherited it from her grandfather when she returned to the village.

I silently landed on the roof and I saw her enjoying a cup of tea while reading over some medical files. I stealthily jumped down but before I could sneak up on her, she let out a chuckle. "I know you're there Naruto. You could never sneak up on me."

"I could if I really wanted to…" I childishly replied, sticking out my tongue.

It's been a month since I last saw her and she was doing well, from what I seen. She was always bugging me to learn a medical jutsu, claiming that it could save my life one day but I always declined, telling her that with my rapid regeneration, I could recover from almost anything.

That was the excuse that I always gave her but I suspect that she knew better. The real reason why I refused to learn a medical jutsu was because I didn't deserve to. I have caused so much pain and suffering that it was better off if I had died and I think she knew it too.

"Why didn't you decline the mission Naruto?"

Crap, she found out. I curse the damn Cyclops, always sticking his noise in my business. I know that he meant well but it just wasn't cool. He ratted me out to my mom…

"I'm the only one who can save them Tsunade… I know it, you know it and he knows it as well…"

Tsunade sighed, knowing that the argument was lost. "You know the anniversary is coming up right?" She asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah…" How can I forget? I burned the day into my memories. "You think that pervert is doing well up there?"

She snorted, "I bet he's overwhelmed with joy, peeping at women to his heart's content."

Silence fell between us, both of us not knowing how to continue on. The subject of Jiraiya's death was still a sore spot for me and I took it pretty hard when I found out that Pein killed him in battle.

"It's in three weeks… Will you please come with me this year to his grave? I know it would make him happy to see us go together…"

I shook my head, "No, I'll go myself. I'm sure that you'll want some time alone with him and I don't want to intrude on it."

The real story wasn't that I didn't want to go with her. It was because I'm prohibited to go visit the heroes' cemetery, a place where it was reserved for the heroes. They wouldn't allow a demon to tarnish the ground of heroes.

Every year on April the fourteenth, I would stay in my apartment or training field, reminiscing about the good times that I had with Jiraiya and at night, I would sneak into the cemetery and pay my respects to the man I considered my father.

"You don't have to go visit him alone Naruto… You have to stop hiding behind that mask of yours and let people in."

My eyes widened as her words took me by surprise but I quickly pushed it back behind my mask.

"You're not the only one who misses him Naruto, I usually come back at night to give him some sake and that's when I see you sitting there, lost in your thoughts. I could see the sadness on your face and I worry about you…" Tsunade explained.

I sighed, nodding my head. I was partially relieved that she only saw me sitting there. If she had gotten a closer look, she would have noticed that on that day, my mask was completely off. I would never tell anyone but during that time, I was able to truly be myself.

"I'll think about it…" I answered before walking away. "I'll visit again when I return…"

Tsunade nodded, "Be careful Naruto… I don't want to lose you too…"

I just smiled, knowing that she worried about me and that was good enough for me. "I'll see you on that day baachan…"

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**Author's Note: **So if you're reading this, you must have finished reading the story, or just skipped it entire to read this one note. Either way, I will say one thing before everyone bombards me with the same idea.

I know I didn't explain much in this first chapter. That's because its the FIRST chapter. I don't want to spill everything here and then have nothing for the later chapters.

In the next chapter, you will get a more general idea of where I'm taking this story. If you like it, leave me a review! More Reviews = More Love.


	2. Mind and Soul

Mmm!! Thanks to everyone that left me reviews. This was suppose to be an experimental story where I explore writing in first point of view. I'm glad everyone liked it.

To some, it might be a fresh intake but to others, they might be able to relate to this angst. I am not one to judge nor do I want to say that I am writing from experience. If you ask me any of these questions, I will just say that it is a mix of both.

Again, there is an author's note at the bottom with some answers to your questions. I seen all your reviews, telling me to update so BAM! I updated.

Kudos to my beta, Weixuan18. Thanks for sticking with me bro.

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Naruto's POV

I wondered if I made the right choice by accepting this mission. In my current state, I was having an internal conflict between my mind and my heart. My mind was telling me that there were no right or wrong choices, only a path that existed for someone like me. My heart, on the other hand, was telling me to turn back, to abandon this mission and take another.

I often wondered what the difference between your mind and heart was. Scholars claim that your mind and heart acted as separate entities but when they acted as one, that's when you become whole…

To someone like me whose heart had been crushed and stabbed, literally; this was meaningless advice. It made me think back to all those times when I heard Jounins lecture their genin teams about the difference between a missing-nin and them. Most of the kids would answer with 'Village' and 'Loyalty'. Those were good answers but none of those were the correct one. The correct answer was 'A Heart'.

If the answer was indeed 'A Heart', then where do I fit in with that category? Do I belong with them? A rhetorical question but I longed for an answer. I longed for a place where my heart could truly belong.

For the past five years, I lived in solitude because it was the only punishment fit for my crimes. At first, I didn't want to do it; I was expecting my friends to tell me how stupid I was being… but their words never came. The first few days were torture, my mind was screaming at me to release myself from my own hellish prison but I stayed strong. My heart was telling me not to give up, not to lose hope.

I convinced myself that after a few days, the friends that I grew up with, the comrades that I went on missions with and the people that I had dinner with, would come and tell me that I was being a fool but they never came…

In the end, it would only take one person to break my chains… Shino… Hinata… Sakura… Ino… Anyone… Even Sasuke… but none of them came.

I stayed in my apartment for a month, my naïve spirit still strong but with each passing day, my mind was weakening my heart, telling me that it was time to face reality. I continued to sit alone in the darkness, waiting and waiting…

The only person that came to visit was Tsunade. I remembered her eyes portraying her sadness. When her sorrow filled voice reached my ears, my face reactively returned a smile, hiding my pain from her but honestly, she was the last person I expected to see. She urged me to move out of my apartment and into her house but I bluntly refused, telling her that I was perfectly fine here.

I knew I was being stubborn but I couldn't go live with her. I would only end up bringing pain and misery to those around me. Tsunade eventually lost her patience and yelled at me, asking me how long I was going to mope around.

I gave her another smile, telling her that I wasn't moping, merely recovering. She yelled in frustration and that was when Jiraiya stepped in. He recognized the symptoms right off the bat but it was only because he had gone through a similar process in the past.

He offered me a chance to continue training and I nodded my head. We agreed that we wouldn't leave the village this time, so we opted to work in the Forest of Death. Day after Day, I pushed myself to the limit, encountering death more times than your average ninja.

Even when Jiraiya called it a day, I trained myself to the point of exhaustion and then some more, his words echoing through my head. My fists were burning not from the physical pain but from the pain of my heart.

The pain of loneliness…

The pain of abandonment…

Throughout the months, I used the training as an excuse to hide myself. I found my skills growing at an exponential rate and during my spars; I was even pushing Jiraiya to his limits. Sometimes, Kakashi would take a break from his Hokage duties and would come to my training sessions but I think it was because of another reason.

Just when I thought everything was going to be okay, fate had a funny way of screwing with me. Having Pein show up in Konoha was the last thing I expected but Jiraiya knew from the start that he would be coming here to look for me. The bastard ended up immobilizing me with some powerful drug so I couldn't participate in the fight.

I didn't know what happened until Tsunade found me an hour later. She explained to me what Jiraiya did and all I saw was red flashing before my eyes. I forced her to tell me where that bastard was but her tears gave it away. She didn't have to say a word, I knew what happened.

Jiraiya met Pein one on one and they fought, only to have Pein standing as the victor. When the news finally settled, my chakra flared to an insane level, powered by my emotions. I arrived at the scene of battle, Pein standing on Jiraiya's fallen body with a smirk on his face.

My actions that day were unforgivable… I threw away all my moral restrains, all the beliefs that I had… because my enemy… was responsible for the death of the man I considered my father.

Ever since that day, Uzumaki Naruto ceased to exist. In return, it was only a demon hiding under human flesh. The entire Village became distant with me and the council used any kind of excuse to rid themselves of me…

Their favorite method was sending me out on missions that normally required a team of skilled Jounins. They knew I couldn't refuse.

That's why I was currently headed to the Rice Country… located deep in Otogakure. I didn't know why a team of Konoha ninjas were there in the first place but I was about to find out.

The travel time between Konoha and the Rice Country was about four to five hours but I got there in half the time, courtesy of my inner demon. My nose stung from the smell of blood. I stopped myself from going any further, landing on the ground as I surveyed the surrounding area. The smell of blood composed of both fresh and old, indicating that there was a fight around this area recently.

Razor sharp vines shot up from the ground without warning, nicked me on my neck. I uttered out a growl as I stepped away.

"Now why is a single Konoha-nin walking out here alone? Have you decided to save yourself and abandon your teammates?" A muffed voice spoke out.

I shook my head, smiling towards the voice. My enhanced hearing was able to pinpoint the man's location. "I'm only here to do a job…"

"Then consider yourself… fired!"

Several ninjas leaped down from the trees, attempting to surprise me with an ambush tactic. I was pretty impressed with their chakra control, being able to completely mask their presence within the thickness of this forest. They landed safely on the ground before rushing towards me, their kunais poised to gut me like a fish.

I rolled my eyes and easily finished them off. When they jumped out from their hiding spots, I could easily sense that they were chunnins at max. Their chakra levels were the justification. One by one, I plunged my own kunai right between their eyes, killing them instantly. I felt no remorse, taking their lives came as easily as breathing.

The last thing that they saw was my smile…

When the last ninja fell to the ground, I noticed that their headbands didn't have the Oto symbol… These were ninjas from Kusagakure. Now why were Kusa Ninjas here? I pondered to myself as I made my way into the village.

Hanabi's POV

My arms felt tired and I was breathing heavily. It didn't take an expert to see that I was exhausted. My muscles were groaning in pain and my fatigue was almost at its maximum. I didn't know what compelled Anko to sign us up for this mission but I suspect it was the free Rice Sake that was produced right here in this village.

When she told me that it was an easy B rank mission, I was hesitant but agreed to go with her. What I didn't know was that this village was under attack by foreign ninjas for the past week. When we arrived, we were assaulted by a massive rain of Kunais, barely escaping with our lives but Kei wasn't so lucky. Several Kunais managed to hit her in her arms and one in her leg, rendering her immobile. We used the last of our supplies on the second day and we were desperate for backup.

I know Anko sent one of her snake summons on the first day and we're now on the third day, still praying for that backup.

"Are you giving up on me already Princess?" Anko's cocky voice whispered into my ear. I growled at her, not in the mood for her joking. We were caught in an ambush right outside the village and she was joking around with me.

Does this woman not fear death? Calling me Princess at a time like this… I huffed my breath, not bothering to dignify her with a response.

The Princess thing still stuck with me, even after all these years. Back when I was still a fresh Genin, I was stuck-up and so wrapped up in my own little world that I failed to notice others around me, thus granting me the nickname, 'Ice Princess'.

I guess it was because I grew up in an enclosed environment. I wasn't allowed outside to have fun like all the other kids. The only thing that I knew was what my father and the elders taught me.

One of the first things my father taught me was that weakness was not an option. To survive in this world, you had to be strong, stronger than everyone else.

I grew up resenting my older sister, seeing her as someone unfit to be the heiress of the Hyuuga Clan. She was so kind… so gentle… and yet, so weak.

When I was thirteen, I secretly saw Hinata-oneesama training with Neji-niisan. I thought the match was going to be over in a second but to my surprise, my sister came out as the victor. Even though they gave it their all, the way Hinata-oneesama moved amazed me. I didn't think she had the skills to beat Neji-niisan.

After that night, I was confused. How could someone who was so kind and gentle be so strong? I couldn't figure it out so I challenged her to a spar the next day. I had to find the answers with my own fist or else, I'd never know.

My sister, the kind and gentle spirit that were loved by everyone turned into a different person when the spar started. I couldn't land a single hit on her. It was like hitting water and by the time the spar was over, I finally understood why Hinata-oneesama was strong. She wasn't weak as my father saw her, she became strong under her own will and I wanted the same thing.

I no longer hated my sister… No, in fact, I grew to respect her. She developed into the strong person she was today by herself whereas, I grew up under the guidance of my father, who I considered one of the strongest in the village. As I grew older, I also outgrew my naïve thinking process and realized that there were others out there that were stronger, like Neji-niisan.

I was surprised when my father consented to let me try out for the Chunnin Exams and even more surprised when I was immediately put on a team. Apparently, Anko was the only Jounin Instructor with a team that was missing a person. Unluckily or luckily for me, she was also the one who beat the whole stuck-up princess thing out of me.

In some sick and twisted way, I guess I admired the woman. She was everything that I strived to be. Outgoing, adventurous, strong and this was something that I'll never ever admit to her. Despite her attitude, she was a reliable friend once you got to know her.

Over the years as I worked with Anko, I transformed from a stuck-up-the-nose girl into a reliable and respected Jounin of Konoha. I was usually seen with Anko and Kurenai, who were my friends as I advanced through the ranks. With the occasional insults from Anko and helpful advice from Kurenai, I nailed my Jounin Exam with ease.

"I counted seven Jounins, what about you?" Anko quietly whispered.

I activated my Byakugan and I nodded my head, I also counted seven Jounins, each hiding away from us. "Think we can take them?" I asked.

"Of course, who the hell do you think we are? Some rookie team?" Anko snorted. "I thought I taught you better than that!"

"SHINEI!"

"MOVE!" Anko shouted, pushing me away as a husky man landed between us. If we stayed there for a second longer, we were as good as dead. That was a pretty huge sword the man wielded.

I found myself stumbling forward, unable to rebalance myself. Another ninja, someone leaner, swung a long scimitar towards me and my body automatically dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding the blow.

I saw a few pieces of my long black hair slowly drifting down in the air and I growled. I took pride in my hair and this bastard was going to pay dearly for snipping it. I quickly twisted my knee, using my left foot as a pivot and slipped into my taijutsu stance, the Juken.

Before I could give the bastard a taste of my strength, a huge chakra signature erupted and was approaching this direction at a fast pace. I couldn't tear my eyes away from my opponent, being as close as I was, it was dangerous.

I didn't recognize the signature either. It felt a bit demonic but I was also getting a humane feeling as well.

Within seconds, I left a hand on my shoulder and before I knew it, I was being shoved away. I rolled and skidded on the floor, unable to stop myself. By the time I stopped, I looked up and gawked at the person who shoved me.

It was him… the very last person I expected to see and the very last person I wanted to see.

Uzumaki Naruto…

"You! What the hell do you think you were doing?! I had him!" I snarled out, not caring if we were in the middle of town or in the middle of battle. I don't care where we were. He was something that I will absolutely not tolerate.

It was because of him that everyone in my family suffered. It was because of him that the rest of Konoha mourned and it was because of him… that I lost my older brother!

I will never forgive him… Never in a million years.

I had seen the pain and destruction that he caused to the people around him. I could personally vouch for it…

Five years ago… he took Neji-niisan away from us… from everyone. I had never seen Lee-san and Tenten-san shed so many tears before. Even Hinata-oneesama was weeping. The pained look that she had on her face whenever she saw Uzumaki… it was just too much for her to bear.

I wasn't there at the time but from what everyone told me, Neji-niisan's death was because of him. They said that it was Uzumaki that killed him. I couldn't verify it myself because ever since that day, Uzumaki seemed to have disappeared, only appearing at the most random moments.

I swore to myself that if I ever saw him, I would get revenge for Neji-niisan. I would make him wish that he hadn't lived…

But here he is, standing right in front of me… with a smile on his face as blood dripped out from the side.

Wait, blood? Why is he spitting out blood…?

I heard a small cough and that's when I noticed that there was a spear piercing him from the front. My eyes widened when I saw another weapon piercing him from the back and my eyes widened even more. The two ninjas tried to yank their weapons back, preparing for the final blow but they couldn't.

Uzumaki somehow grabbed their weapons, preventing them from doing so. I couldn't understand how one man could still have the strength to fight back. I know I wouldn't be able to do so.

Was this his power?

With one quick move, I saw the two ninjas being thrown up into the air and two blue spirals appeared on his bloody palms. Was this the famous Rasengan that I heard so much about?

As the ninjas came down, he shoved the blue orbs into their chest, instantly killing them. I didn't need my byakugan to know just how powerful that technique was.

Uzumaki then dropped to his knees as he forcefully pulled the weapons out. I winced as he pulled each one out. My face was probably green and my stomach was ready to puke but I couldn't show my weakness here. My mind was screaming at me to get revenge but my heart wouldn't move.

"You should… smile… more…" Uzumaki managed to utter out with that stupid smile on his face before dropping to the ground.

Naruto's POV

As I walked into the village; I could still smell the stench of blood lingering in the air. I rubbed my nose several times, trying to get the smell out but I couldn't. Just when I entered, I saw three more foolish ninjas coming at me. They thought they would come here and expect me not to defend…

What a foolish world they live in but too bad for them… I wasn't going to die here. I hadn't found my answers yet…

My eyes flared up with chakra. I could feel the Kyuubi's demonic chakra trying to take control but I pushed it back. It was bad enough that I suffered humanity's wrath… I didn't need to suffer a demon's wrath either…

Gathering enough chakra, I flipped through several hand seals and unleashed a whirlwind, embedded with my chakra. Over the years, I learned to effectively manipulate my element, adding them to my techniques, making them twice as deadly. Those fools were dead before they dropped to the ground.

From far away, I heard Anko yelling something before she pushed another person that I didn't recognize aside. It was only when she got into a Taijutsu stance when I recognized her.

Hyuuga Hanabi… the former heiress of the Hyuuga Clan…

Neji's words echoing through my head. Those were the very last words that he spoke to me before he died in my hands…

_Naruto… It's your… duty now… to… protect… my… family…now…_

It was a memory that was still clear to me, even after five long years… No matter how many times I replayed the moment, it was my fault that he died. I lost control of myself during the battle and he paid for my mistake with his life.

My body went into shock after realizing what happened and I wanted to puke my guts out. It was after that even that I swore to myself that I would never make the same mistake again.

Horror was written across their faces as time stopped for every single person witnessing that battle. My fist slowly pierced through Neji's body and by the time I regained consciousness, he was already gone. No one aside from me knows what happened… They all think that I killed Neji and no matter how many times I tried explaining myself, the less people listened.

All they saw was my fist going through Neji's lifeless body.

It was the ultimate taboo… killing your own comrade in cold blood…

It was an unforgivable sin…

So why was Neji smiling when he died in my hands?

I made a solemn vow that I would protect his family, no matter what and that was why I stayed in the village… For his memories that I endured such harshness and cruelty and it was for his memories that I would not break his request.

My eyes watched in slow motion as Hanabi readied herself to counterattack but what she didn't see was another ninja sneaking up behind her. Without thinking, I summoned an insane amount of chakra to my legs, giving me the extra boost that I needed to reach her in time.

Within seconds, I propelled myself forward, shoving Hanabi away and taking the blow for her.

"You! What the hell do you think you were doing?! I had him!" I heard her snarling the words out at me. I couldn't help but smile, knowing that I deserved them and more. Not once have I visited the Hyuuga Compound to offer my condolences. I guess in a way, I was afraid to face them… afraid of how they would react…

Her words were soon drowned out as I braced for impact, the spear and sword piercing through my body one by one.

I coughed out some blood as pain shot up from my body, a searing pain that I never felt before. It was a poison, that much I knew, but Kyuubi should be able to counter it and heal. I could feel them trying to retract their weapons but I wouldn't let them. With every ounce of strength left in my body, I threw them high into the air and I held out my palms, managing to summon two Rasengans. I waited for them to drop down before plunging the deadly jutsu into their chest, killing them instantly.

I then dropped down to my knees, ignoring the huge pain that went through my body as I yanked the weapons out. I turned my attention to Hanabi as she sat there watching me, her face turning a little green.

I could feel my body giving out and my vision wavering. She was the last person I would see before I black out, the look of confusion… awe… and curiosity…?

"You should… smile… more…" I managed to utter out before blacking out completely.

Hanabi's POV

He just collapsed in front of me, blood spewing out from the wounds he received in battle. I shivered slightly, thinking that it could have been me lying there.

Was he even alive? I crawled over slowly, checking for any signs of life. I put two fingers on his wrist and felt a slight pulse.

I didn't know why but I let out a small sigh that I was holding onto. Was it possible that I was feeling a bit guilty?

No, it was not possible. I hated this man for what he did to my family, to what he did to his friends. There was absolutely no way that I was feeling guilty.

It wasn't my fault that he jumped in, taking the blow for me. It wasn't my fault that he wanted to play hero and save me…

Now, he's lying on the ground, possibly on the verge of dying and I had no freaking way of saving him!

Even though I always wanted to brag to Anko that I had men falling left and right whenever I walked past them but I couldn't. Men wouldn't fall left and right for me. They would do it for people like Anko or Kurenai but certainly not me. Men looked at me like I was some sort of fragile princess and they suffocated me with their affection, which was the reason why I never had a long lasting relationship that went past a month. I would be so lucky if it went past the first two weeks.

Without warning, something huge dropped from the skies and I let out a small scream. I know it was un-ninjalike of me but this was something big! When it landed, I felt my body jumping into the air as an aftershock of its landing.

But what could have been so heavy that it caused me to jump up like that? I hesitantly got into my Taijutsu stance, preparing to defend myself from any possible attacks… and maybe him as well…

I just had to see if I could protect him… I mean, it wasn't the end of the world if he died here… right?

I tried to convince my heart that if Uzumaki died here, it wouldn't be my fault… but it wasn't listening. I just sighed as I stood in front of him; my conscience was probably jumping for joy at my bold move.

I heard a loud coughing noise as it took a step. "Stupid Aniki, that's the last time I'm going to let him summon me like that." I heard it speak.

'_Aniki?_' I thought. What did it mean by that?

My heart literally stopped when the dust cleared, giving me a clear view of the creature. Standing before me… was a giant frog? I think it was a frog except that it was dressed in a blue yukata…

When it turned its gazed towards me, I quivered under its glare. Even though I was from one of the four noble houses, this toad had a majestic aura surrounding it and I couldn't help but to look away.

"Damn it! Now I gotta carry your sorry ass back to Konoha Aniki!" I heard the frog whine. It was only then that I was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The frog was referring to Uzumaki as Aniki!

Then… could it mean that Naruto was its summoner?

I only heard legends of the frog summon, knowing that the Yondaime and Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannins were able to wield its awesome power.

My eyes tore itself away from the frog and looked at the man lying on the ground. Could he really be its summoner?

The Frog took a sniff of air and his face turned from a whiny pouting one to an angry one in less than one second. "What the hell is this?!" It roared out.

I couldn't find my voice to answer it. I was too scared to do otherwise.

When it couldn't get an answer out of me, it turned towards Anko. "OI YOU PSYCHOTIC BITCH! WHAT HAPPENED TO ANIKI?!"

Oh, that was a big mistake. I had seen guys in the past that called Anko a psychotic bitch and they hadn't been the same since…

Anko managed to finish her two opponents with ease and shunshin over. She growled at the frog before looking at Uzumaki.

"Take a closer look Hanabi." Her voice was dead serious and I did as I was told. There was no place on the field for subordinates that didn't follow orders. Anko had drilled it into our heads ever since we were genin.

My bloodline was a very handy tool to have. It allowed us to see the body's chakra pathways and detect the flow of chakra, which was why some of the Hyuuga became medic-nins.

I didn't see the normal blue chakra that resided in our bodies. Instead, I saw a purplish color flowing through his system and my eyes widened when I realized what it was doing. It wasn't just flowing through; it was flowing through and clogging it up.

I quickly relayed the information to Anko and the frog.

"Well, what's wrong with Aniki?" The frog asked.

"It has to be some kind of poison. I don't recognize it. If what Hanabi said was true, we don't have much time to lose!" Anko shouted. "Get Naruto back to Tsunade stat you overgrown toad! If he dies, I swear, I'll feed you to my snakes!"

It wasn't a frog, it was a toad. Seriously, I would have never able to tell the difference between them.

"I like to see you try. I never lost a fight against a snake. Never have. Never will!" The toad boasted. With ease, it scooped Uzumaki up in one arm.

"Go with Gamakichi Hanabi. Tsunade might need your eyes to figure out what's wrong."

I nodded my head and walked over but Anko stopped me before I got any further. She pulled me back and whispered into my ear. "Don't let him die, you hear me Hanabi? He's important to me."

"Why?" I asked but Anko gave me the 'I'll explain later' look. "Fine." I replied before getting on Gamakichi.

Just what was the connection between Anko and Uzumaki and why did she tell me to bring him to Tsunade instead of the hospital. Surely the medical staff there was competent enough to treat a poison wound right?

I pondered these questions to myself as the toad rushed us back to Konoha, leaving me with so many unanswered questions and the big mystery that was Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

Author's Note: Not sure if everyone caught it but I made a reference to the story Ice Princess of Konoha by DsirinWsdm and JohnnyG. I merely borrowed the name since it was relevant to her description.

I'm sure by now, you're wondering what was Naruto's crimes etc. Well I gave you a little insight on why everyone gave him the cold shoulder but not the full story! More will be explained later as well as others too. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Now, I command you to leave me a review! LEAVE IT!


	3. Ironic Situation

Woh - has it been that long? I didn't think it would take 2 years to get out the next chapter. My apologies. I fully expect myself to do regular updates now... Just a warning, because it's been that long, I don't know how well this chapter will play out. Please let me know your thoughts.

This chapter was made possible by my beta wilson so thank you once again, even after two years.

* * *

Hanabi's POV

Okay, this is just weird. Let me tell you, I've seen a lot of things in my career as a ninja but this one takes the cake. I would have never imagined myself riding on the back of a giant toad with the last person I expected to see.

Nothing could have prepared me for this moment. I would be lying if I said that I haven't been dreaming of the day when I would meet the man responsible for Neji-niisan's death…

But here I am, riding on his... toad... rushing towards Konoha... to save his life...

Don't you just love the irony?

Just thinking about him makes me want to lash out and hit something… or someone but that wouldn't be wise. There was an awkward silence between me and the toad. I could feel it tensing its muscle up, almost as if it were expecting me to attack. It also didn't help that it kept looking at me every other second.

Judging me with those eyes of his.

"What?" I asked, feeling irritated. "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"I don't like you." The toad responded. Clear and straight to the point. "Don't think for a second that I won't kill you if you do anything to aniki."

I scoffed. Do something to Uzumaki? What the hell was I going to do? Jump over while moving at an incredible pace just to take my revenge? I may be skilled but I'm not that good to pull that off.

"Why does it matter to you toad? I didn't ask him to do anything. It was by his own actions that he's in this condition." I coldly replied. I was never one to take shit from anyone, not even Anko. While she may have beaten the 'Ice Princess' personality out of me, she also taught me to be my own person and to stand by my beliefs. I was just a little firecracker waiting to explode…

I heard it utter a low growl, like it wanted to take a swing at me and I just smiled back coyly. No need to respond, we both knew that I won that round. I shook my head and my eyes drifted down to the person on the toad's webbed digits.

Uzumaki Naruto…

I could see the blood soaking through his clothing and a pang of guilt hit my chest. No matter how much I tried to deny that fact, it was he who showed up and saved my life. If it weren't for him, it would have been me lying on the ground in that village, bleeding out with Anko screaming at me; doing everything she could to save me. While telling me that everything was going to be okay.

I shook my head, trying to forget that it wasn't me and it was him. If our roles were reversed, I would have been dead, probably seeing Neji-niisan by now but it wasn't. It was him… the village jinchuuriki. The container of Kyuubi… rumored to be the most powerful of all the bijuus… lying there waiting for death to come.

I knew all about him. Everyone in our village did. We all knew of the things that he had done and the sins that he committed. The pain and suffering that he caused the village and the injustice that we had received. It just wasn't fair.

As far as I could tell, Uzumaki had no relations to anyone in the village. I think pretty much everyone was split into two groups. Those who hated him and those who didn't want to be seen associating with him. I'm pretty sure there were a certain few who considered him a friend... I believe Kakashi is one of them but then again, he was always giggling at those perverted books so I couldn't be sure.

I often complained to Anko and Hinata about why he was still alive. Why wasn't there a public execution for the man who caused us so much suffering? Anko told me that I was still a naïve bitch who still needed to grow up. I should have been offended by her comments but I knew that she didn't mean it. Nothing gets past these eyes of mines and I knew she was hurting inside. I just wish I knew why and what her relationship was to him.

My sister Hinata, on the other hand, was a different story. Along with the rest of her friends, they seemed to share the same opinion with the rest of the village, that they all hate Uzumaki. They seemed to resent him for what he did and to this day, I agreed with them. That he was a demon, lying in the dark, waiting for its chance to take revenge on us. It was a perfect cover up. He used the attack as a chance to get back at us and get back at us he did. Half of our forces were demolished that day, ninjas and civilians alike.

I closed my fists tightly, thinking back to the pain that he caused my family. I didn't know if the toad was very observant or I was very obvious but he noticed something right away.

"Don't even think about it bitch." I hear the toad muttered. Gamakichi… I think that was his name. How dare he tell me what to do? Does he even know what kind of vile and disgusting things his summoner had done? Did he know just how much my pride hurt just by having this bastard save my life? I gritted my teeth and ignore him, my eyes hardening and focused on Uzumaki.

"You're one of them. I don't need to know you to know that you're a spiteful bitch." Gamakichi stated. "I don't know why he sticks around. He shoulda just left. People like you aren't worth dying for."

I saw red. Everyone had a trigger point and the stupid toad just pushed it. "People like me? What the hell does that mean? If anyone should be dying, it should be him!" I yelled back, my anger taking the better part of me. "Why shouldn't I have the right to hate him? I would be doing everyone a favor if he died. No one would miss him." I could feel myself shouting everything that I had to the toad, not caring if he swatted me like a bug.

"Listen here you bitch…" Gamakichi yelled. I could feel the anger in his every hop, like he wants to stop but I know that he can't. Every minute that he wasted on me was a minute lost on him. In fact, I wanted him to stop. "You have no idea what kind of hell aniki has been through. Do you even know who he is? Does anyone know the kind of man he really is?"

I held back my tongue. There were so many things that I could say but I didn't. I couldn't, not when I know he was right. I didn't know him personally. All I knew was that he was the man responsible for Neji-niisan's death. A man I swore I would get revenge on… not just for me but for my entire clan…

"That's what I thought. You humans are quick to anger, quick to judge but slow to see what things really lie underneath the story." The toad took one giant leap, clearing a few hundred feet at once and it took all of my concentration to stay on. I was not going to let him get the better of me. "I'll swear one thing though, if aniki doesn't make it through this and it was because of people like you, I promise you that you'll have another war on your hands but this time… it won't be with humans."

"Is that a threat?" I yelled, holding on for dear life. He was doing this on purpose. I knew he was. "If you think he's so great, why don't you tell me what really happened? Tell me that he wasn't responsible for what happened five years ago!"

Despite the wind rushing past my body, I could have sworn that I heard a sigh coming from his mouth but no words ever came…

Naruto's POV

Darkness…

Nothing but darkness…

Why do I even bother trying…? I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle here. My body is telling me to give up, to just let go but my heart won't agree with that. It's pushing back, fighting against all odds but what good will that do? If the fates wanted me dead, I wasn't going to fight it... I've caused enough pain and suffering to people.

I'm just so tired... Would it be wrong for me to just close my eyes...?

Tsunade… Kakashi… Neji… Jiraiya…

I just wish someone would tell me what to do… What I can do…

I often dream about what life would be like if I didn't have the Kyuubi inside of me. Would I have been treated normally like everyone else? I shook my head, I'm not _that_ lucky.

It also doesn't help that I keep seeing her face in my memories, the look of surprise and curiosity directed towards me before I blacked out. Why did it have to be her? No it was probably better this way. Let me die by her hands. At least she would have her revenge on me.

Just let me be done with this... I'm just too tired to continue on... Just let Hanabi be the one who does it. It's only fair since Neji died by my hands.

I had no idea what compelled me to rush in like that. Was it because of that promise that I made to Neji? That I would protect his family no matter what? Or was it something else?

I don't know. There were just some questions that you can ask but you'll never get the answer to. As I'm standing here thinking, I realized that everything's black. It's not like darkness has ever bothered me. It's all but a welcomed companion ever since I've been alone…

But why is everything black…? Shouldn't Kyuubi have healed me by now? I shouldn't have even fainted from those attacks. I survived when Sasuke rammed his Chidori through my chest but I can't walk it off with a couple of weapons stuck in my chest? What kind of messed up shit is that?

"Kyuubi!" I yelled out. I received no response back from the demon which was odd. Even though I haven't spoken to him in years, his presence was always there, like a little annoying problem that won't go away.

No matter where I look, it's not the familiar mindscape that I grew familiar with. Where were the leaky pipes and the gloomy brick walls? I reach out with my hands trying to feel something, anything, but there's nothing there. I would have tried running but I'm afraid that I would run straight into the wall or even into a hole so I slowly move my feet, feeling anything that might be hazardous to me.

Seconds pass, turning into minutes and then I lost track of time. I'm not even sure how long I've been here but it doesn't look like I'll be leaving anytime soon. Am I just walking in a straight line or am I moving in circles? I don't even know but I guess… only time will tell…

Hanabi's POV

It took a little more than an hour for us to make it back to Konoha but during that entire trip, the toad remained silent, leaving me to the scrutiny of my own thoughts. What was I supposed to think after all of this? That there was some ulterior agenda surrounding Uzumaki? I rolled my eyes at that idea but I didn't whole-heartily dismiss it.

There was more... There had to be. Why else would the toad say something and then shut up? It just didn't make sense. There was a secret. I knew there was.

What could be more of a secret than being the container for the Kyuubi? Yes, I agree, it was once an S-Class secret created by the third but now, its public knowledge. Everyone in the village knew who he was and what he represented…

I racked my brain trying to figure out what else it could be? A spy for another village? Treason? Was he a love child from the council? My eyes widened at the last thought and shook my head. Never in a million years would _he_ be a love child. I actually felt disgusted thinking about that.

I let out a small sigh of relief we reached our destination and I jumped off, glad to be back on the ground. I didn't enjoy the ride... I really didn't.

Without warning, the toad bellowed for Tsunade-sama, or rather, Baa-chan. I snorted in response, thinking how disrespectful it was being but before I could correct him, I saw something fly out from the window, smacking the toad right between the eyes.

"Owww…" Gamakicki groaned and I held back a snicker. "What the hell was that for?"

'_Serves you right.'_ I thought. I saw the Slug-Sannin walk through the doors, yelling at the toad for copying the brat's manners. Her eyes immediately went to the person lying on the ground and she rushed over.

I didn't need to be a mind reader like Ino to know what was going through her head. The Sannin fired off a series of rapid questions to the toad and I couldn't help but feel vindicated to see it cower under her gaze. It held up his webbed digits in defense before sputtering that he didn't see anything.

"Honest Baa-chan, I didn't see anything. He ran off on his own! Ask the Hyuuga chick!" Crap, stupid, good for nothing toad rat me out. I didn't know why but from the moment she laid her eyes on me, I no longer felt like a twenty-one year old but rather a five year old with her hands caught in the cookie jar.

"Hanabi?" She called out. I looked at her and waited, unsure of what she wants me to do. She performed a basic diagnostic jutsu on him before her head turned and glared at me. "HANABI! Come here NOW!" She yelled. I flinched and ran over.

I could hear the toad snickering at me but before I could turn around and glare at it, she yanked me down and I was held face to face with the medic.

"What. Exactly. Happened." She asked, no humor detected in her voice. I quickly told her what happened and what was going on with Uzumaki. I heard her yell out for her assistant, Shizune to get some medical supplies and come out.

The next several moments... There was no other way to describe it. It was just a blur. I saw them cut open his vest and shirt to get to the root of the problem. I could see the bloody mess that was once his chest and I almost threw up. Underneath his shirt were wounds that would have killed everyone else but by some miracle, he was still alive.

Was it a miracle or an act of god?

I couldn't help but notice that his body had scars on it too. Not your basic oops I cut myself scars. No, these scars looked painful, almost as if he went through some kind of sadistic torture. I couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the man...

"There's a blockage on his left side Shizune!"

"Already on it Tsunade-sama. Why isn't he healing? Kyuubi's chakra should have kicked in by now."

The two went back and forth, healing and asking questions as they go. The curiosity got the better of me and I activated my Byakugan.

"About time." I heard her mutter.

"Huh?" I asked. I turned my head and noticed that Tsunade was looking at me, with a small smile on her face. "What do you mean about time? Were you expecting me to do something?"

She shook her head, "I was wondering how long it would take you to come to your senses."

'_My senses? What does she mean by that?'_ She noticed the puzzle expression on my face and continued to explain.

"You're different Hanabi. Different from the rest of those assholes villagers. Do you know that you're just like your mother? Strong spirited and loyal to a fault. Not once did she look the other way when someone was in trouble. Just by being here shows me that you are definitely your mother's daughter Hanabi."

I felt my throat drying up. It was rare to hear someone speak of my mother like that. Even when the members of my clan spoke of her, it was more of a distant, respectful tone. My eyes started to water up, tears threatening to fall down my face if I made even the slightest move.

I wanted to tell her no, that she was wrong but I found myself looking down, unable to bring my eyes up. If only she knew that the only reason why I was here wasn't for such a noble reason. It was because I was curious to see how they would save him. It's not my problem if he lives or dies...

But then... how come I feel guilty thinking about it?

I wanted to speak up, to tell her that she was wrong about me because I felt like I didn't deserve any of it. It was technically my fault he's like this.

"Tsunade-sama..." I hear myself speaking but I couldn't go any further. She cut me off before I could explain myself.

"No Hanabi, you have to understand. This brat is part of my family. Not once has he come to me for help nor did he ever complain about how shitty his life was." She sighed. For the first time, I didn't see a strong woman before me, the once potential candidate for the Hokage position but a tired and weary woman whose exhausted herself saving a loved one.

"Tsunade-sama! We're losing him!" Shizune's frantically cried out. I could see Uzumaki convulsing on the floor, with blood continuing to gush out from his wounds. I heard the sannin swear before performing another diagnostic jutsu.

I watched as a grim look appeared on her face as she moved her hands towards his heart. _'Was something wrong with his heart?'_ I thought. It couldn't be; I was sure those weapons missed his vital organs.

"Damn it Naruto! You've come so far to give up now! Don't you give up damn it! FIGHT!" Tsunade yelled. Her hands turned a bright green as she started pushing down on his chest.

A moment of dread washes over me, wondering if his heart stopped. One look from Shizune confirmed everything. . .

"I thought you were better than this Naruto! Don't let them win!"

I could see the sweat appearing on her forehead and even with my Byakugan activated, it was futile. The chakra was indeed making its way to his heart but it was stopping there, almost as if something was blocking it.

I'm able to see it, a small blockage that's preventing his recovery but what should I do? I bit my lip and growled. It wasn't my duty to save him, hell, why should I even lend a hand? He's the man responsible for everything! He's just a cold blooded murderer!

'_But you know it's the right thing to do.'_ There... there was that little voice of reason in my head. I shook it off. I already knew what I had to do. I didn't have to like it but I couldn't bring myself to let him die without finding any answers.

"You better be grateful Uzumaki..." I quietly muttered under my breath as I joined in to assist. I quickly went over to the other side, explaining to the medics what the new problem was. I performed my own jutsu and watched my hands turned green and I quickly went to work...

With my assistance, I could physically see the rapid improvements happening. With the last blockage cleared, I watched in amazement as his chakra flared up, engulfing him in a huge blue light but of course, no one else could see it but me. I wisely deactivated my bloodline before it blinded me.

I hear the medics let out a small but happy sigh, knowing that the worst was over. I flopped down to the ground, feeling exhausted myself.

"Is he okay baa-chan?" I hear the toad ask. I totally forgot about him. I thought he disappeared the moment he brought Naru - I mean Uzumaki here. I cursed myself at the slip up. I could see the relief on his face as well.

Tsunade merely chuckled, ignoring the nickname. "He's going to be just fine Gamakichi. It's thanks to Hanabi here that he's alive." She pointed to me and expressed her gratitude. I merely waved it off, knowing that I saved a life here today... I just wasn't expecting it to be his...

"Ugh..." I hear something utter out in a raspy voice. All of us turned our head to the source, seeing Uzumaki slowly open his eyes. I could see everyone smiling at him, glad that he was alive… His eyes went through the motions, looking at each of their faces before landing on mine.

Pale white eyes met dull cerulean blue.

No words were exchanged between us. Just a look before his eyes closed once more.

And I think to myself... _'What have I gotten myself into...?'_

Naruto's POV

"You gave us quite a scare brat."

I know that voice. I mentally cursed myself for my own stupidity for being in this situation. If I were smarter... stronger... I wouldn't be here right now. I wisely kept my eyes closed, unwilling to open them because I knew, from the moment I opened them, I returned to a world that I wasn't ready to face.

"I know you're awake."

Tsunade wouldn't give up. She knew me too well. Or at least as well as she thinks she did. I slowly opened my eyes, knowing where I was. Her mansion.

"Hi Baa-chan." I quietly greeted her. I gave her a smile but she frowned. I wondered why? I mentally cringed as I watched a look of disapproval appear on her face.

"What happened out there Naruto?" She asked. I didn't know how to respond. I knew she deserved the truth but I couldn't bring myself to tell her.

I decided to tell her that nothing happened out there, with some slight enthusiasm so that she doesn't worry about me. I still remember just how much Jiraiya's death affected her and I couldn't see her go through it again. Not if I could help it.

But just how much did she know? I pondered about it.

"Honestly! Nothing happened. I was at the right place at the wrong time." I told her again, for reassurance, hoping that would be enough. I moved my body, sitting up and winced at the slight dull pain. My chest felt sore but then again, it was expected if someone was impaled by weapons.

I didn't want to be here. I didn't want to burden her with my troubles. "How long was I out?" I asked.

She told me that I had been out for a few hours but I was expected to make a full recovery. I thanked her for helping me and prepared to move but she put her hand on my shoulders, stopping me from going any further.

"Relax. I spoke to Kakashi and he agreed that you should take a couple of days off. With pay."

I shook my head, telling her that I couldn't take a couple of days off. There were a lot of things to do. Like check in on my apartment... I wondered how much of my stuff had been stolen this time. It always happened, whenever I left, someone broke in and ransacked the place, causing a mess and throwing trash in. I learned the first time when I left my money in the closet and when I returned, saw that everything was cleaned out.

After that, I made sure to never leave anything I consider valuable in there. Not like I own anything worth stealing anymore.

I took her hand off my shoulder and gave her a small smile, "Thank you for saving me baa-chan." I figured it was the least I could do for her troubles of keeping me alive.

She laughs, "I'm not the one you should thank." I looked at her in confusion. If she didn't save me, then who did? No one else in this village would give me their time of day. In fact, I'm pretty sure none of them would lift a hand to save me if I was bleeding in the middle of the market place.

"It was Hanabi. She saved your life with her Byakugan. If she didn't step in and locate the blockage, you would have been dead by now."

I gave her a bewildered look. Really? Hanabi? I carefully studied her face, wondering if she was pulling a joke on me but she wasn't. My eyes widened, not believing the fact that it was really Hanabi Hyuuga who saved me. I half expected her to be the one who ended my life.

No, no way. She couldn't have. Maybe this was one of her tricks, trying to get me to socialize with people. I refused to believe that anyone would do something for me just for the hell of it.

"It's true Naruto. I believe you owe her your life." She said with a smirk on her face. Oh I notice your smirk baa-chan. I see what you're doing but you don't understand. I can't go and thank her.

"Right..." I answered. I probably won't though. I've already tried in the past, apologizing to the Hyuuga Clan for the pain that I've caused their family but it was still a fresh wound for them. After seeing Hinata break down and yelling at me, I felt like shit and when she slapped me across the face, I didn't even flinch.

I could handle a lot of pain but when the very people you once trusted looked at you with hatred in their eyes, it just hurt. It hurt more than being stabbed in the heart a hundred times over. It was the worst feeling in the world and I don't think I can go through that again. Not without breaking my promise to Neji...

"Did you think I was giving you an option Naruto?" She sweetly asked. I replied with the only answer possible, Nope.

She nodded her head, indicating that it was the correct choice. I wasn't sure why she was so adamant about me finding Hanabi. It should be obvious to her that she didn't like me.

No one did... That's why I'm always alone...

After much nagging, I managed to convince her that I'll stop by again tomorrow so she can do a follow up exam. We both knew that I'll be fine but I guess it's more for her piece of mind. She gives me a warning to not use any rank A jutsu or above for a week and I chuckled sadly. I guess that means it's going to be a long week.

I shook my head as I walked out of the house, not believing what just happened today. From a basic rescue mission to almost a near death experience... I swear that things like this only happens to me.

Still cursing my luck, I walked out the door and I swear, Kami must be laughing at me right now because I saw the last person that I least expected to see today.

"Hanabi..." I felt my own voice muttered out.

We both stood there... and it felt like time has stopped for the both of us...

* * *

And here we are once again, at the end of the chapter. I might have lost my touch as an author but I'll let you guys be the judge of that.


	4. Past Discoveries

Guess whose back. Back again. I'm Back. Tell a Friend. and the rest of that song.

Thanks to wilson for the beta.  
Thanks for the reviews. I liked them all.  
Thanks for coming back after so many years.  
Thanks to you guys for making it awesome.

* * *

Naruto's POV

It didn't take a genius to figure out who Hanabi Hyuuga was. From the countless memories and reports that I've read and seen, I already knew. I knew her name, her resident location, the members of her team and her friends.

Some might call it stalkerish but I call it paranoia. While everyone was moving on with their lives, I spent mine reading reports and detailed biographies on every nin Konoha had in service. I needed to know everybody who was anybody, anyone who was a ninja; from their relatives to their third cousins. I needed to know who I could trust and who I needed to keep an eye out for.

Sadly; the list for who I could trust could be counted on one hand but the list of who I needed to watch out for grew by leaps and bounds after the invasion. People whom I once considered to be my friends turned out to be nothing more than a figment of my imagination. Villagers and ninjas alike treated me like the plague, avoiding and ignoring me, which was a fate worse than death.

I grew up alone, despised and barely tolerated but that changed once I became a Chunnin. I somehow gained respect among the ranks and people began to rely on me but then Pein showed up looking for me. Countless lives were lost that day.

Some lost friends... some lost family...

When the battle ended and the dust settled, people called for a scapegoat, demanding someone who they can blame for their pains. The answer was obvious. It had to be the demon of Konoha. It was on that day that the bonds that I once valued over anything... shattered like a piece of glass. Physical pain were expected from battles and could be recovered in due time but emotional pain was a different story. Philosophers pointed out that anyone could live from a physical injury but to truly hurt your opponent, you strike at their emotional side. Destroy the things that they hold dear and only when you do that, do you really claim victory over them.

For me, seeing everything that I worked so hard for to just disappear from my eyes hurt a hundred times more than having a Chidori rammed through my chest. No matter how much I tried asking for forgiveness, it was futile. I lost many things that day... a brother... a father... and a family.

The shame that I carried inside, the burden that I carried on my shoulders, it would have been worth it if I could be forgiven for my sins... but they wouldn't give me their forgiveness. Who could blame them? They were people who lost a loved one.

He made me swore on my honor that I would be there for his family. I still remember the look on his face when my hand impaled itself through his chest. I recall myself screaming and waking up from my nightmare the moment it went through. Lost in the bloodlust of the Kyuubi, I was attacking anything that moved. Enemy and comrade alike. I knew it was dangerous to give into the demon's influence but I lost control. Jiraiya lost his life defending me and Neji lost his life saving me.

I could still see Neji's face, grimacing from the pain but he was also smiling at me as he closed his eyes, almost as if he knew this was going to happen. I couldn't stop my body from shaking, mortified by my actions. I expected him to curse me with his dying breath but what he said that day will be forever engraved into my memories.

"I don't blame you Naruto." He spoke in a quiet voice, his strength fleeting from his body. "Don't... blame yourself... for this. I'm.. finally out of... my cage."

I still remember the feeling on my right arm, the warm blood oozing from his body and steadily dripping down my forearm. I wanted to apologize but it came out as a stutter. Shaking like a fresh rookie from his first kill, I wanted to pull my arm out and perform a medical jutsu to somehow undo my mistake but I couldn't. He wouldn't let me.

"It's okay old friend... We're the same... while my journey ends here... yours is just... beginning. Hanabi... Please look... over her... Naruto..." His eyes stared at me with an intense fire burning in them and I agreed, my body still convulsing from my earlier actions. I could tell that a great burden was released from him when he passed away... smiling.

I still find it strange that it was her that Neji spoke about and not anyone else. Not his other cousin, Hinata, the heiress to the clan nor Tenten, his girlfriend. It was Hanabi and that itself, was very odd.

To this very day, no one knew the true story. Everyone had their own version but it was unanimous that it was I, who killed Neji in cold blood. Not once have I been given the chance to explain my side of the story, not like they would believe me anyway. I was just a crackpot fool with a demon inside of him.

Even now, I still watched over Hanabi. Of course, it would have to be done from a distance because of the circumstances but I won't let anything happen to her... I can't. I watched her grow from a Chunnin and mature into a seasonal Jounin. A little rough on the edges but like any other diamond, it takes time to polish it into a valuable gem. I won't admit this to anyone but I pulled a few strings that got her on Anko's team. God knows what would happen if someone else trained her.

I shudder to think if it was Kurenai or Asuma. What a waste of talent if Hanabi was left to someone like them. No, she needed someone who won't be intimidated by her status or personality. I needed someone who didn't take shit from anybody. Somebody like Anko...

Kakashi thought I was insane for giving the Hyuuga princess to Anko but in the end, I managed to convince him. Anko was someone I trusted and I knew that despite her personality, she was one heck of a friend. Her training might be torture and her attitude might make you want to kill yourself but her results were nothing short of spectacular. After a few weeks, I could see the changes in Hanabi and I knew I made the right choice.

So why does it hurt so much when I see her standing there?

Hanabi's POV

I walked up to him, stomping my feet as I went, hoping that I would at least intimidate him but instead, he stood his ground, his eyes never leaving mine. Even at my height, I found myself looking up at him, something I never thought would happen.

"Hanabi..." I heard him whispering my name from the distance. His voice sounded fragile and I felt my resolve crumbling away. No, I must stand strong. I can't allow him to change my mind. This wasn't fair! He caused everyone so much pain and yet, he had the nerve to play the sympathy card? He does not get that right! I snarled in my mind. Not after he killed Neji-niisan!

"Thank you." The words came out like a whisper in the wind and I had to blink several times to make sure that I heard him correctly.

"What..?" I asked, gesturing him to repeat it.

"For saving me... I.. uh... thank you." He replied. I wondered what was going through his mind. Was he being truthful here? I tilted my head a bit, to get a better read on him. As a Hyuuga, we possessed the ability to read facial expressions and determine if a subject is lying or not. It was a skill that the clan passed on to us.

"Ninjas have to understand what was underneath the surface but for a Hyuuga, we have to be able to read beyond the surface. To see what's really hiding under their mask."

I never fully understood what their words meant until Anko took me to her job and we watched Ibiki interrogate a foreign ninja. I would be lying if I didn't feel nauseated but thankfully, I was able to get a read on the ninja before the man had a chance to... demonstrate his techniques.

I've stared into the face of many people, friends, comrades and enemies and they all had one thing in common. They had facial expressions that defined the emotions they were feeling but not him. He was different from the rest. I couldn't get a read on him which troubled me. Staring at him felt like I was looking into the abyss. There was no beginning... nor was there an end... It frightened me to think that there was such a man whose soul was as dark as his but I guess that was expected for someone who committed so many sins.

"Forget it Uzumaki. Just forget it." I answered, tearing my eyes away from him. "Don't think that I did it for my benefit. I didn't save you because I wanted to. It was because Anko asked me. This doesn't change anything between us."

I saw his shoulders droop slightly and he sighed. "I see. Well, regardless of the case, I apologize for being an inconvenience to you."

Damn that bastard. Was he really just going to say that and walk away? I spun around and grabbed him by his arm. "What the hell Uzumaki? You think that by saving my life, your debt to us has been repaid? No fucking way. Who the hell do you think you are?"

I continued yelling at him, not caring if I was in front of Tsunade's place or in front of the god damn Hokage. "I don't accept your damn apology! You think that after all this, everything would just go away? You made my life a living hell! Everything's changed because of you. Everything's different because of what you did. Everything was because of you!"

I didn't release my grip, merely tightening it and forcing him to look at me while I yell at him. Just seeing him stand there, unfazed by all of this caused me to pull him down and slapped him across the face.

"How _dare_ you!"

The stinging sensation on my palm, my increased breathing and the shocked looked across his face. Yup, it was worth it.

"Don't you dare walk away from me Uzumaki." I growled, ignoring the way he was now looking at me. "I didn't even care that you destroyed half of Konoha. I didn't even care that you have the god damn Kyuubi inside of you but when you hurt the people I value the most, that's when you crossed the line!" I cocked a fist back and sent it flying, catching him on his right side.

"You made my older sister cry! You made ME cry you bastard!" I then rammed my knee into his stomach, causing him to bend over.

"You killed Neji-niisan, the one person who treated me like a normal person!" I yelled, cupping my hands together and brought it down on his back, concentrating chakra into that attack.

I watched as he dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach and wincing from the last attack. I huffed, trying to catch my breath.

"You lost the right to apologize to us Uzumaki. We will never accept your apology for as long as we live."

"St..op... Stop..." I heard his faint voice. I watched as he slowly pushed himself up, his eyes were still the same... dull cerulean blue. Letting my anger go, I tackled him to the ground, hitting him with my bare fists, anywhere and everywhere. I saw him raise both of his arms to defend himself but that didn't stop me. I continued pounding him, yelling at him and getting my frustrations out.

"Why... Can't... You... Just.. Disappear!" I shouted between breathes. Before I know it, the bastard slipped out from the assault and flipped it around, with me pinned to the ground by his arms. I struggled for a bit, trying to force my way out of here but he was a lot stronger than he let on. I couldn't budge or shift my body weight.

All I could do was look into his eyes. "I'm so sorry Hanabi. I never meant for this to happen. I never meant for it to happen. You have to believe me!"

I stopped struggling for a bit, wondering what I should do. I could tell that he noticed my hesitation and continued. "If I could, I would take it all back in a heartbeat. I'm truly sorry Hanabi..."

"Okay. I believe you..." I replied, relaxing my body...

Naruto's POV

"Okay... I believe you..."

I felt her relaxing her muscles, which was a good sign so I loosened my grip on her, which was a mistake. The moment that I lowered my guard, she came alive, yanking her right arm from my grip and slugged me again on the right side. I staggered back slightly, caught by surprise.

'_Damn that girl has a nasty right hook.' _I thought to myself. I moved my jaw in a circular motion, making sure she didn't break it.

Hanabi was immediately on her feet, her eyes blazing with a fire. "Come on Uzumaki, get up and fight! Or are you afraid of one little girl?" She taunted.

I shook my head, disagreeing with her. "We don't have to fight Hanabi. Just listen to me about what I have to say -"

Woah. Fast. My eyes widened at the surprise attack. Anko must have stepped up the training again because last time I checked up on her, she was nowhere near as fast. I continued moving back, avoiding the punches as she threw them. I swayed left and right, making sure that she wasn't able to predict my next move.

Despite all of the shit that life has thrown my way, I have never raised my hand in fighting back. I couldn't. Even now, with Hanabi blindly charging at me, I couldn't help but feel... normal. I've forgotten what it felt to spar with another person. I've forgotten what it felt like... to talk to another human being...

I decided that during the time Hanabi tried to strike me down, I would explain myself. Sidestepping slightly, I avoided a drop kick and spun around, my back against hers. "Neji was an honorable man Hanabi. He wouldn't want to see you act this way."

"Shut up!" She angrily replied, throwing an elbow to my face. I raised my palm and pushed myself away, blocking her blow and pushed her away, putting some distance between us.

"Do you want to know what he said?" I asked her.

"How do I know you're not lying about it? Maybe you're making up some bullshit so that you can atone for your sins!" She shot back, her eyes showing a bit of hesitation. I could tell that she was weighing her options so I do the next best thing. I made the choice for her.

"Then kill me."

She looked at me with widened eyes, "W-w-what?"

I nodded to her, closed my eyes and spread my hands apart. "I'm serious Hanabi. If killing me means making you feel better, then so be it. I hate seeing someone like you suffer for a mistake that I did. You wanted to avenge Neji's death? Then kill me."

My eyes were still closed and anything could happen but I trusted her enough to do what was right. I had to. If it meant that she was going to Juuken me to death then I'll accept the fact but that didn't mean I don't have faith in her. When Neji told me to watch over her, I didn't know why he said her name specifically but now, I think I do. He probably knew, deep down, that she was different from the rest.

"He was a great man Hanabi. One of the best and one of the few that considered me a friend to the very end. I can honestly tell you that the last thing he said to me before passing away... was that he thought of you..."

Closure. I knew it from the moment I saw her yelling at me. She didn't hate me for what I did. She knew first hand just what kind of danger a ninja faced. All she wanted was closure and no one gave it to her. I didn't get a chance to do say anything else when she tackled me to the ground again but this time, instead of pounding me, she cried on my chest.

For the first time in my life, I didn't know what to do. I was unfamiliar with crying females so all I did was just lie there while she cried. I could hear her sobbing but she never released the grip she had on my shirt. I didn't dare open my eyes, afraid to see something that I didn't want to see.

There was a small sinking feeling in my stomach, wondering if I had died, would anyone shed any tears for me? Would my death affect anyone like how Neji did? I doubt it.

"I'm sorry." I quietly said. "I know I hurt you and your family a lot and I'll do anything I can to make it better. I swear Hanabi..."

"Just shut up please." She replied, hiccuping from her emotional outburst. It made me feel like shit, just seeing someone like her weeping for something that I did. I finally dared to open my eyes and saw that her head was buried into my chest and I couldn't help but wonder just how special this girl really was...

Maybe it was time I had a talk with Anko...

Hanabi's POV

He's a self-righteous, self-loathing bastard. I hated him for it. He gave me the chance to take revenge for the pain that he caused me. He gave me a chance to make it right for everyone... so why didn't I take it? He even left himself wide open but my heart wouldn't go for it. I didn't kill him because I wasn't like the rest of them... I wasn't a killer... I clenched my fist and at that moment, the tears that I was holding back broke loose.

Against everything that my mind was telling me, my body tackled him to the ground and cried. He was the only connection that I had left to Neji-niisan and I couldn't let it go, no matter what happened. I could feel his body tensing up but I didn't care. I just needed him to be here right now.

It didn't matter anymore. It really didn't. All I wanted was for someone to tell me what happened that day and finally, someone did.

I knew that Uzumaki didn't exactly live the lavish lifestyle as everyone else did. I knew that. I knew that he didn't have any friends. I knew that. What I didn't know was that behind everything else, was a fragile man who despite all the hatred, despite all the rumors, despite everything, was a fragile man who was trying to fix the wrong he had done. I might not have seen it at first, blinded by my own ignorance but now... I kind of did...

All the pain that I suffered was probably something that couldn't even compare to what he went through but it was still there, so fresh in my heart that I can't just forgive him yet. I needed time to think this through.

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness just yet..." Naruto suddenly said. "I don't think you're ready to give it but I hope that in time... you will."

"I still hate you." I replied. "But I know about you... from the stories that Neji-niisan used to tell me. He would tell me of the things you guys did back in the day, during missions and all that. That's why it hurt so much to see you take him away from me."

I didn't know where that came from. I wasn't even sure what made me open up to him but just lying here... next to him... felt so natural and it frightened me. Urging my body to let go, I pushed myself up from him and noticed that he was staring at me. I felt myself blush and cursed. I looked away and pretended to dust myself off. I wasn't going to let him get the satisfaction of seeing me like this.

"Baa-chan is going to kill me..." He muttered. I turned around and saw that he was looking at a window and rubbed the back of his head. "Ah crap, I'll never hear the end of it."

I stifled a giggle and walked up to him. I poked him on the chest with my finger. "Don't think this makes us even Uzumaki."

He gave me a sad look and nodded, "I know." With that, he bowed his head and started to walk away, giving me one last look before disappearing.

"Just who are you Naruto..." I whispered to myself.

* * *

Just to clear it up. Hanabi isn't like the rest of them who hates blindly. Hate without reason is just wrong. Hate with reason is justified. I'm out. Until Next time.


	5. An Unlikely Partnership

__Just a few words to the wise; there is no lolicon anywhere present in my stories. Past or future. Please remember these characters are not cannon and are in their mid twenties respectfully. I would also like to thank Weixuan for being the beta again so please check out his latest story and tell him that he should make it a Naruto and Kalifa pairing! Doing so would prompt me for a faster update wink.

I don't do it for me, I do it for the sake of having something awesome to read. If anyone has any recommendations on good stories, please feel free to pass it to me.

* * *

_Naruto's POV_

The guilt inside me was killing me, just seeing her like this.

Being so open and vulnerable.

As each second passed, I could feel my heart literally breaking into smaller pieces, like shattered glass from a broken mirror. I quietly watched from afar as baa-chan stood there, staring at the grave. She came here every year, always standing alone, letting the tears fall from her face. I know she invited me to come with her this year but I didn't think it was a good idea. The message was clear; a demon wasn't welcomed on the grounds of heroes. I could sense the ANBU hiding in the shadows, watching for any sudden movement. The very thought of a demon stepping into the graveyard was sacrilegious. The council knew just how important he was to me and they made an effort to take it away...

Just like everything else I cherished...

Baa-chan came here every year, at this exact time because on this day, at this time, it was when Jiraiya passed away. No matter what she did, she couldn't save him. I could tell that she still blamed herself but in reality, it wasn't her fault. It was mine. He died because of me, because of who I was and what I represented. It was because of me that Baa-chan had to go through this kind of pain again.

It was that pain that drove her away from Konoha in the first place. Everyone knew the stories about Tsunade - the legendary Sannin who left the village after the deaths of her brother Nawaki and her lover, Dan. Seeing another person whom she greatly cared for die in front of her eyes must have torn her up inside. To others, Jiraiya was a name that people came to respect as he was part of the legendary Sannin team but to her, he was just more than a ninja. He was her knight. He stuck with her through thick and thin and everyone knew it. You didn't threaten Tsunade without answering to Jiraiya.

A knight to a princess... Just like the fairytales...

Even after his death, I didn't tell her that Jiraiya was in love with her. I just couldn't. I knew it wasn't the silly kind of love where it just came and went; what he had for her was real. The kind that you saw in story books with a prince and princess. It killed him to see her going into the arms of another man but he knew it was for the best. He sacrificed his happiness for hers because to him, she was everything and if she was happiest with Dan, then he wouldn't stand in their way.

I see baa-chan looking around, her eyes scanning the area as if she was looking for me. I clenched my fists, knowing that I should be out there with her, paying my respects to Ero-Sennin.

'_I thought you had balls gaki. Didn't you brag to me that there wasn't anything that you couldn't do?'_

I could hear him mocking me and I narrowed my eyes. Uzumaki Naruto didn't just have balls. He had balls of steel. Let the council come after me, I'll show them what a true demon looked like. With a quick ShunShin, I appeared next to baa-chan, giving her a small smile.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up brat." She said, slapping me on the back of the head. "Didn't you know it's impolite to make a lady wait?"

"You're well past the age of what you would be considered a lady baa-chan." Earning me a fist to the head. Thank god for my healing or else she would have left a fist shape bruise in my skull.

Both of us closed our eyes and bowed our heads, paying our respects to our fallen friend. "You know they're watching you right?" I heard her mutter to me.

I snorted, "Let them watch me. Anything they can dish, I can return it ten folds." I answered her a little bit loudly, letting them know that I was aware of their presence. Within moments, they vanished and I couldn't sense any of their chakra signatures anymore. Probably reporting this incident to their superiors.

"Drink with me brat." She pulled out two jugs of Sake from the ground and took a deep gulp. I wanted to shake my head, telling her that I didn't like the taste of alcohol but on this day, I couldn't bring myself to just say no. I easily took the jug from her hand and drank like a pro, showing her that even now, I could hold my own against her.

After my drink, I poured some on his grave, knowing that this was his favorite brand of sake. "Enjoy it Ero-sennin..." I whispered. "God knows you won't find this in heaven..."

I could hear his faint voice in the background, belittling me for giving him a small amount. I quietly chuckle, wondering how insane I was, to be hearing the voice of my dead master...

"Are you going to run and hide forever Naruto?" Tsunade asked after taking a couple of long sips.

I was wondering when that conversation would come up. It had been an unspoken topic since that day... I told her I wasn't ready to discuss it and she left it alone. I guess even the greatest medic had a limit.

I tilted my head to the side, wondering what would be the best way to answer her. She was looking at me with those calm decisive eyes of hers, the ones that would have made her a great kage. "Who's hiding baa-chan?" I cheekily responded, "I never hide from anyone, you know that."

She let out a loud laugh and pointed her finger at me, "Then tell me brat, do you ever plan on seeing that Hyuuga again? I know what you guys did outside my yard. I may not be as strong as you but did you forget that I was once a candidate for the Kage position? I didn't think so; so spill it."

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head, "You saw that huh?" I gave her a small smile in return. "I didn't mean to do that you know. I apologized like you wanted but somehow, it didn't turn out to be as simple as I planned."

Baa-chan snorted, rolling her eyes at me. "Spare me of your bullshit lies Naruto, we're sitting here in front of his grave. This is the first time since his death that you're here with us, so why don't you drop your mask for one night..."

"I..."

"You're like a closed book Naruto! Damn it, I can't even get a read on you anymore." She sharply replied, cutting off my response. "I know you still blame yourself for what happened but don't you think it's time that you let go? To stop living in the past and take your step into the present so you can live your life for the future?"

"I hate to see you like this. I thought we were family Naruto! Doesn't that mean anything to you? Me, you, Jiraiya and Shizune! We're family Naruto! Whether you like it or not, you're always going to be part of it. Don't think I don't know about the missions that you're taking either." She answered, a warning in her voice.

"I... can't... baa-chan." I replied, tearing my gaze away from her eyes. "You don't understand. Why are we dwelling on me when we should be honoring the man that we both lost?"

"Because the man we're honoring would be slapping you across the head for the way you're acting!" She retorted, taking another long sip of her drink. "I know... your life has been shitty Naruto... but you know it doesn't have to be like this. So what if they see you as the demon scorn, the scumbag that lives in the village, the waste of space that should have died. I thought you were Uzumaki Naruto, the man who was going to be the next Hokage?"

I let out a small chuckle, "The man that you once remembered is nothing but a fleeting memory baa-chan. Don't let it get to your head. I don't think he ever existed in the first place..."

We both know who he was... I thought back to the times when life was just so simple, where I wasn't known for anything but a demon brat. I wanted... no... I wished that I could go back into a time where the villagers just ignored me and no one knew my secret. I wished... that this was just... all a dream... and I was living in a nightmare...

"You know what Ero-Sennin used to say?" I asked her.

"Probably something perverted." Tsunade snorted. I noticed that it was an automatic response, from the way she blushed and looked away. She took a minute before nodding her head. "Yeah, definitely something perverted."

I laughed, knowing that he would have said something perverted but in rare cases, he was always the sage, handing good advice when people need it the most. "No, not this time baa-chan. He used to say that before we learn to walk, we must learn to crawl. In order for us to understand each other, we first need to understand ourselves."

She raised her eyebrows, shocked at what I was saying. "What? It's true. Come on, he wasn't _always_ perverted."

Seeing her roll her eyes, I merely smiled. "He told me that when we were traveling back to Konoha, after we completed that mission to find Akatsuki. The man, despite his perverted tendencies and his attempt in corrupting me, knew the right things to say at the right time."

We sat there, exchanging stories of the man and for the first time in a while, I felt like it this was paradise. There was no hatred... no angry snarls... just us and this plot of land, where no one would ever disturb us. It... felt nice. After an hour, the two bottles of Sake disappeared, mostly into her system and judging by the way she was slurring, she was quite drunk. I quickly summoned a toad and guided her home.

I watched as the toad gave me the evil eye, promising me pain the next time I summoned him. I held my hands up in protest, my eyes telling him that it wasn't my fault but we both know that I owed him some kind of reward for this task.

"So you're still here watching over me huh, Ero-Sennin..." I whispered. No words were exchanged, no actions from the beyond, just silence from the cemetery. Closing my eyes, I found myself concentrating on the area, drawing in the powers of nature and then I opened my eyes, the feeling of the sage power coursing through my veins.

Ever since I became a sage, I was able to sense things that normal people couldn't sense and this was one of them. I had the ability to sense spirits because believe it or not, they were a part of nature. They inhabited the things that we choose to ignore but as a sage, I was able to know when they were near and while I might not know who that spirit was, it gave me comfort knowing that I wasn't alone.

"What should I do with Hanabi, Ero-Sennin? She knows about everything... and Anko didn't really help when I went to speak to her..."

I thought back to that meeting with Anko and about after 20 plates of dango, I was in no mood in going back to her for information. The only thing that I learned from that situation was that Anko was a sneaky and conniving woman. Not only did she score a free yet expensive meal from me, she also had me agree to be her sparring partner for the next month or so, helping her improve just in time for some kind of Jounin Competition that the Hokage was sponsoring.

It also didn't help that the only thing I learned about Hanabi was that she was like her name, a firecracker. I didn't receive any further helpful information and it annoyed me to see her with that little smirk on her face. The way that she was lecturing me as I was her underling.

"Live and learn little Naru-chan. It's time that you learn to see past the hurdle that you built for yourself and experience life like a normal person. If you want to learn more about your little girlfriend, I suggest you come to our normal training field in 2 days and maybe, if you can... _please_ me, I'll tell you a little more."

Stupid Anko.

Stupid Dangos.

_Two Days Later_

Luckily for me, the training field that Anko suggested was really close to the forest of death. I was able to wake up early to catch breakfast while ensuring that I was on time. I shuddered to think about the times when she nearly skewered Kakashi when he was late during his Jounin days. It was a historical day that will be forever remembered because not only did the future Hokage almost lost his two boys, every male within the vicinity of those two cringed and simultaneously moved their hands to cover their parts.

By the time I reached the training field, I realized that Anko wasn't here yet but there was a note attached to a tree stump.

"_To my little Naru-chan, I know how much you wanted my company today and to see my sexy body in all of its glorious form but unfortunately, due to some … unique and totally non-coincidental circumstances, I cannot be here today but I'm still holding you to your promise. Don't give me that face my little Naru-chan, I didn't bail on you. You see, I was supposed to compete in the Jounin Competition not as the primary contestant but as the partner. Imagine my surprise when my partner was none other than your girlfriend, Hanabi! You don't have to thank me kiddo, I know how much of a favor I'm doing you so I expect some form of repayment next time! Anyway, have fun training and remember, you don't need to thank me!"_

_The one, the only, the sexy and single Anko!_

I narrowed my eyes, not believing that she had the nerve of pulling something like this on me. I could see it now, I'll tie her up good and then torture her with dropping dangos onto the floor, one by one, and then I'll step on them slowly...

"God damn it." I muttered out loud. "I hate you Anko. I should have stuffed you full of dangos and watched you explode from the inside out."

Tossing the note aside, I sensed a Chakra signature coming closer to the field. I sighed, knowing that it was my supposed 'training partner'. I see her walking onto the field, confusion written across her face.

"Hello Hanabi." I greeted her in a friendly matter. Half of me hoped that she wouldn't be too angry at me. The other half was wondering what the hell we were going to do. Ever since that day, I was still unsure of where we stood. It felt so awkward between us. I wondered if she still resented me for what I did?

She continued watching me with her pale eyes, wondering what the hell was going on. "What are you doing here Uzumaki? This is a private training field."

I quickly explained to her that despite the good intentions that Anko had, I was her new partner for the tournament. It fascinated me to watch how fast Hanabi's reaction went from confusion to anger to murderous look in just three seconds.

"I'll kill her. I'll kill her for this."

I let her rant for a bit, knowing that if she didn't let it out, she would take it out on me and I didn't want to be on the receiving end of it. I unconsciously moved my jaw, remembering the power she had in her hook shots. I took a step back, seeing her pace around, moving her hands. Dressed in black workout pants and a white tank top, that outfit really brought out her curves.

"If it really bothers you, I could leave." I answered. "You still have enough time to find a new partner."

"Do you even know what the Jounin Competition is?" She asked, looking at me like I was a moron. I'm just glad she stopped her pacing; it was making me feel uncomfortable as it is.

I shook my head, "Not really. I'm not really... in touch with the community anymore..."

Truth be told, I had been out of the loop on everything. From the missions that people went on to their personal lives. Even if I wanted to know, no one would tell me and I didn't want to bother Kakashi for information... It seemed childish for me to go to him every day so he could update me on what my former friends and comrades were doing. I lived alone most of my life, depending on no one but myself. I did it before, I could certainly do it again.

She sighed, rubbing her temple. "It's a competition authorized by the Hokage for anyone with the level of Jounin and above. It was his way of allowing ninjas to show off their skills while bringing the village closer. The catch is that you must partner up with someone in the village in order to be eligible and the winners will receive a reward equivalent to an S-Class ranked mission and personalized training from the Hokage himself."

I let out a small whistle, knowing just how much of a prize that was. For ninjas, money wasn't the real prize. It was the personalized training from the Hokage himself. To receive one on one training from the Kakashi, the copycat ninja, the man who knew over one thousand jutsus; I couldn't imagine a better motivation to win than that.

"So what do you want to do now? From what I understand, you have two options, you either make the best out of this situation and start training or you can tell me to walk away and you'll find a new partner."

She bit her lip, contemplating on the best option. "Let's say, hypothetically, I was to choose you as a partner Uzumaki. What can you do? Aren't you just a Chunnin?" She asked while she walked around me, sizing me up.

"Since when does rank matter Hanabi?" I replied, my eyes following her movement. "But for argument's sake, hypothetically, even though I'm a Chunnin, would you rank me as a one? Given what you know about me that is. Let's just say that if I had to, I could give Kakashi a run for his money."

She narrowed her eyes, judging if I was telling the truth or not. God I hate it when the Hyuugas did that. It felt like I was being violated in some sort of way..

"You think you can last against the Hokage? The man who was trained by the Yondaime himself? It didn't seem like it when I pounded you to the ground." She said, smirking on her face. "Maybe you're over exaggerating to compensate for a little _package?_"

Oh dear god, she picked up some of Anko's more... quirky personality traits. I shook my head, refusing to take the bait. I could see that she learned a great deal from the Snake Mistress but this was one of the things that I had hoped she wouldn't have learned.

And did she just mention the beating she gave me the other day? I guess there was no sense in stepping slowly into the water anymore.

Fine, two can play it this way. Anko might be good at seduction who plays with her personality but for someone like me, who easily hid behind a mask, it was nothing more than a child's play. I guess it was time I show her the difference between the two of us.

While she was still moving around me, I pulled off a Shunshin, disappearing from her field of vision and reappearing behind her. I put my arms around her waist and moved closer to her ear.

"It's not my little package that you should be worrying about..." I whispered, "You should worry about what that little package might do to your little body... Hanabi."

I felt her shiver from my touch and then I took a step back. "Hypothetically speaking... you would have been dead Hanabi... Letting me get behind you and whispering behind your ear is the same thing as an enemy slitting your throat in a fight."

She quickly spun around and glared at me, fighting hard to keep that blush down but failing miserably. "Adequate but that doesn't prove anything Uzumaki. You're nothing but rumors. Lies have been slandered against you, you're not exactly the most popular guy in the village and your reputation is non-existent. The question now becomes, why should I trust you?"

"Because there's no one else that you can trust but me." I answered. "I don't fight for fame or money. I fight for those around me."

"Then prove it to me Uzumaki. If you're going to be my partner for the competition, you have to be better than Anko. You have to be someone I can absolutely trust. If you're finally done talking, how about we see just how good you really are."

I smirked at her, "Bring it on Princess."

As quickly as I said that, she slipped into her taijutsu stance, the renowned Gentle Fist of the Hyuuga Clan. Little did the princess know, I was no stranger to her style. I had worked with Neji before and I could say that even though I couldn't see the Tenketsu points, I was able to match the Hyuuga prodigy in a fight. Let's see how well she matched up against him.

"Don't make this too easy now Uzumaki. At least defend yourself." Hanabi replied in a mocking tone. "I was wondering why Anko chose you out of all people to replace her. She should have chosen someone like Lee."

She's just taunting me now. I fought her mentor plenty of times in the past and it seemed like the student has definitely learned from the master. After another failed attempt at taunting me, she took a step in, feeling the situation. Good, so she wasn't brash; she was thinking like a Hyuuga. I watched her, slowly inching forward but her guard remained up.

I took a step back as she inched forward. My guard was still down. "I don't sense any hostility from you. Why is that Hanabi?"

"Hm... how about, if you win, I'll tell you?" A coy reply from her.

I couldn't help but grin. Despite the feelings that we had between us, this was going to be interesting. "Why don't I just save you the time and tell you how this ends huh?"

She glared at me and thrust her palm forward, aiming for my shoulder. Just as quickly as she did that, I pushed my left arm forward, creating a stalemate in the attack. Seeing how easily I countered her attack, she twisted her body and performed her next attack, which I easily followed. I could see where her Gentle Fist Taijutsu Style started and how she incorporated Anko's style into her own.

She's getting a little testy now. Every move she made, I was able to meet it and win. I could tell it was pissing her off.

"**Hakke Rokujuuyonshou.**" She cried out.

I smirked and mirrored her exact move. Many hours of training with Neji had taught me one thing about their style: I'm the only exception to their rule. No matter how many times I had my Tenketsu points closed, I was able to reopen them. It was painful and I learned quickly that it wasn't something I wanted to do often. I had to learn, to adapt to their style and soon, I was mirroring his exact moves. Matching him blow for blow.

Her blows were quick and they were increasing slowly. I could tell that she spent hours into her training but I was no slouch. I trained myself to exhaustion every night, only stopping when I blacked out. Ero-Sennin was right, no matter how many times people betrayed me, the only thing that would never leave me were these fists.

"You look a bit surprised, Hanabi." I replied, a hint of cockiness in my voice. "Are we just about finished here?"

"No you bastard." She snarled. "Eat this!"

Seals. Her hands breezed through a good number, before ending in tiger. I didn't need her to announce the jutsu, I already knew what it was. Before she could even start saying the words Katon, my hands automatically went for a suiton jutsu to counteract hers.

It didn't matter if she was aiming for a fireball or creating some kind of fire hazardous attack, my hands were already on the last seal before she could even finish hers; releasing enough water for the Suishouha Jutsu. I had to admit, it might have been a bit of an overkill. I guess even after all these years, I still don't know the meaning of holding back.

Her fire dragon met a huge whirlpool of water, vaporizing and neutralizing her attack completely.

She stared at me, wide-eyed before shaking off her surprise. I had to give it to Hanabi. She didn't stand there gawking like a rookie, she immediately understood the situation that she was in and she knows there will always be time for questions later.

We've been going at this for the last twenty minutes, neither one of us giving an inch. I've been doing nothing but blocking her attacks, not once retaliating against her. I needed to study her style first hand, so I knew what I was working with. To be honest, her form wasn't bad and she had some power behind it but she needed work.

"Are you ever going to fight back?" She snarled, trying to land a hit on me. I could tell I was annoying her. Every punch she threw, I slapped her hand away. If you looked closely enough, you could see little red marks on the top of her hands. There was the fire in her eyes, determined to at least land a blow on me.

"Nope." I cheekily replied. "My mission isn't to win Hanabi. It's to show you how effective I am in a combat scenario. You wanted to see how good I am, so I'm showing it to you."

She tried to catch me off guard by twisting her body, feinting an elbow to my face but I spun with her, moving as she was moving. Her elbow hit nothing but air; however her main goal was her right fist, hidden behind the movement.

She was good, I'll give her that. If it was someone else, she would have caught me by surprise but this was me. I trained myself to expect the unexpected, to be ready for anything.

"**Hakke Kuushou!**" The Hyuuga Princess yelled out. She thrust her palm out from behind, knowing that I was there but I was already one step ahead of her. The moment her attack connected, the body that she came in contact with disappeared into thin air. That was when I made my move.

Her eyes widened from the surprise. I moved behind her, using the distraction to finish the match. By the time she noticed what happened, she would have been dead. I put my left arm around her body while my right arm went for her throat. Seems like déjà vu all over again.

"You let your guard down, Hanabi. That'll cost you in a real battle."

She remained speechless, unable to comprehend what just happened. "Just because you thought you had the upper hand doesn't mean you always do. We're ninjas. We specialize in deception and stealth. If I were an enemy, you would have been dead a long time ago."

"When did you pull off that Kage Bunshin...?" She quietly asked. I raised my elbow and released her.

"I just let you go and the first thing that you ask is how I pulled off that Kage Bunshin?" I responded, humor present in my voice. "You're not going to yell or hit me?"

Ah, she blushed again and looked away. Interesting, why was she blushing like that? "No... You won fair and square."

I rubbed the back of my head. "You were fighting a Kage Bunshin the entire time Hanabi. I made the swap after the first time I whispered into your ear."

From what I learned from my clone's memories, I could tell that she was pretty good as a Jounin but she still had some stuff to work on, like her taijutsu style. It was too stiff. She may have learned some stuff from Anko but her primary style from her clan was still there. Another thing was her Chakra reserves. I might have to do something about that to build it up some more. If it was a ninjutsu match, she would have lost a long time ago.

I watched her expression closely. To me, the way one reacted via facial expressions and body movements meant a lot more than words. She stood there, slowly coming to terms with the fight and lowered her head.

"You were right Uzumaki. Rank means nothing." An apology. I held my hands up in defense, signaling that I didn't want her to apologize but she continued on. "I underestimated you and even though you tried to warn me, I failed to see it. I might be a Jounin but today, I acted like a genin. I would be honored if you would still consider being my partner for this competition."

"Are you sure Hanabi? I'm giving you one last chance to reconsider what you're doing. You're asking me, the demon of Konoha, to enter a competition with you to go against other Jounin ranked ninjas. Whom, which I might add, really hates me so I would expect some dirty tactics and such."

"Do I look like a pushover Uzumaki?" She shot back. "I'm Hanabi Hyuuga! And I'll be damned if I let anyone tell me what to do. Let them come at me, I'll just gut them like a fish!"

I let out a chuckle, which erupted into a full blown laughter. She was so much like Anko that it was unbelievable. I held out my hand, and she took it, gripping mine tightly. For the first time in a while, I smiled at her and she beamed at me.

"I'll be honored Hanabi."

"Great! Training at 0800 tomorrow! Don't be late!" She said, smiling at me.

I suddenly had chills down my spine from the way she smiled at me. Bells started ringing in my head and I thought to myself, what did I just get myself into?

* * *

Let me know what you guys think. Everything was done from Naruto's POV. I'll be switching back between the two characters sooner or later. Cheers!


	6. And It Begins

So that took a while and I apologize. Issues came up and had to work through those first. Many thanks to my beta for pulling through and staying with me after all these years. Cheers bro.

* * *

_Two weeks later_

_Konoha Training Field 9_

_Naruto's POV_

My mentors once said to me that one of the reasons why they took on disciples was so that they could see them grow as a person. It filled their hearts with pride to see them grow in both maturity and skills. I've never understood that... until now. I've only begun to realize just how amazing it was to see Hanabi grow under my guidance. If I didn't actually witness this with my very own eyes, I would have called my mentors pathological liars but damn, the level of confidence and skill that she was displaying continued to astound me every day.

Maybe... her dream of winning the competition wasn't such a dream after all.

For the past two weeks, we worked non-stopped on her weak points, mostly her ninjustu and taijutsu. I wasn't worried about how many techniques she knew; instead, we focused more towards building up her Chakra reserves. Of course, me pointing that out caused her to lose her temper and resulted in some epic death threats but she eventually acknowledged that fact.

Just like how Ero-sennin taught me, it was always about the fundamentals. You need to get back to the basics in order to improve yourself. I had her doing Chakra exercises for the first three days before telling her to work on her taijutsu style. While her main form was that of the Gentle Fist, she took what she knew and combined it with Anko's Hebi Style, causing it to be more unpredictable and destructive but in my eyes, that still wasn't enough. She needed be able to fight every battle like it was her last and in order to properly motivate her, I created 20 clones, telling them to go at her with the intent to kill.

"Be more like water Hanabi!" I yelled to her. "Water doesn't stop for anything. It bows to no one nor does it ever stop. It is forever moving; peaceful and calm in small amounts but disastrous in large quantities."

A sadistic smile appeared on my face as I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. Who wouldn't? With that many clones coming towards you with the Rasengan, I would be amazed if the person didn't shit their pants right there.

Hanabi let out a small scream before leaping away. "I hate you Naruto! I'll get you for this!" She yelled as she leaped from tree to tree. That was also another thing about her. She started calling me by my first name. I tried not to read too much into this but just hearing her say my name, even with contempt and revenge still managed to bring a small smile to my face.

It's true what they say. It's the smallest things that make you smile and I couldn't agree more.

I wonder how long it would take her to dispatch my clones. Twenty, thirty minutes? I hope they don't really scar her for life. She really has come a long way. I closed my eyes and started to concentrate, gathering enough natural energy to fully enter sage mode. With it slowly flowing into me, my sensory projection expanded, sensing everything within a 350 meter radius. I could hear the sounds of birds flying away from the trees, hear the heavy panting of one Hanabi Hyuuga running away and the sounds of my clones dispersing as she took them out one by one.

Smart girl, leading them to fight one at a time instead of taking them all once. I guess all those strategic lessons were finally paying off.

_Fifteen Minutes Later_

"Haa... Haa... How do you... do this... everyday..." Hanabi asked as she plopped down to the ground, facing the sky.

I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't going to tell her that I train longer than most people, accomplishing feats that no normal human should be able to do. I think she was expecting an answer, so I gave her one that I usually tell to most people. "I just do."

Straight forward and simple.

"Then can I ask you a personal question Naruto?" She asked, tilting her head to one side. "I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want to..."

"Go ahead." I hesitantly replied. Even though we're training partners here, I still don't feel comfortable with her enough to be telling her all this. I didn't want her knowing more than she had too because not even Baa-chan knew about half the shit that went on with my life.

"Why do you do it? What's driving you to keep on living to see tomorrow?"

A small sigh escaped my lips and I ran my hands through my blond locks. "It's... complicated... Hanabi." She pushed herself up, trying to get a better look at my face. I wanted to tell her that the reason why I got up every day was because I kept hoping, hoping that one day... everything will be forgiven. I would be welcomed back with opened arms and warm smiles. Even if it was just a small glimmer of hope... I didn't want to give that dream up...

"Try me." She said. "We're all human Naruto. It's okay to take a step back once in a while to breathe. There's no rule that says that we have to constantly be in motion."

I chuckled, shaking my head, "And when did you become so wise, huh?"

Hanabi smiled and stuck her tongue out, "I'm a genius remember? I'm supposed to be the brains and you're supposed to be the brawn. I think and you react."

With the way she was acting, I could tell that she was flirting with me. The way she touched my arm ever so slightly and the way her eyes widened whenever I took off my shirt. It just boggled the mind as to how she could fall for someone like me. I couldn't give her the things that she deserved. Things like fancy jewelry and expensive gifts and basically, just giving her the best things out of life. I'm sure that her other suitors might be able to do so much more than me... which was why I keep telling myself not to fall for her but she's making it pretty damn hard not to.

I gave her a small smile in return, before getting up. I could see the sun setting from the horizon and that signaled that her training was over. Just another two weeks before the tournament began.

"It's time to go Hanabi. I don't want you getting back home too late." I answered, disrupting the moment that we were having on purpose. I didn't want to her to become too comfortable with me. She definitely deserved better than this. She deserved a man who could give her what she wanted, not someone who barely had enough to get by.

No... She deserved someone whose fate wasn't tied to the demon... I thought bitterly. Even now, I felt the very walls I built up crumbling. I bit my lips, forcing myself to think of nothing but the pain.

"Well... it's still a bit early to go back so how about some dinner Naruto?"

I shook my head politely, declining her offer. "No thanks Hanabi, I have some personal stuff to take care of tonight."

"Oh really now." She replied, pressing on with this subject. "What kind of personal... stuff do you have to do tonight?"

I raised my eyebrow, giving her a questionable look. "Personal stuff princess." I said and she puffed her cheeks in response. "Same time tomorrow Hanabi." I gave her a wave before leaving in a shunshin.

_Hanabi's POV_

Personal stuff my ass. Third time this week he's turned me down. Something's going on here and I don't like it. Here I was, trying to be all nice to him and what do I get in return? Zilch, nada, nothing.

Still... I wonder where he goes at night... or what he does.

I've followed him around on several occasions, arguing with myself each time that I wasn't stalking him. I was merely studying him in his own environment so that I can better understand my partner. It's not my fault that he's unwilling to join in with the team bonding exercises...

Believe me when I say this but that man is like a closed book, protected more tightly than Kakashi's treasured Icha Icha Paradise collection. Speaking of which, I have to get a move on. I could see him already several meters away and this would be a good way to practice my stealth.

Quickly throwing up a henge, I shunshin'ed after him, watching him closely with my Byakugan activated and hidden between the henge.

It's not that I didn't want him to know that I'm following him... It's just that I'm very concerned for him as a teammate only...

From what I already know, he doesn't like to walk through the normal part of the village. For some unknown reason, he walks through the slums of the village, not bothered by the disgusting smells and the garbage lying around everywhere.

I let out a small ugh as my foot stepped into something that resembled a puddle. I'm afraid to even know if that was water or not. Disgust appeared on my face as I looked at my sandal. "Great. Just great. These were my favorite pair too..."

This is for Naruto. I keep telling myself over and over. This is for Naruto Hanabi, just ignore it until you finish your mission. You can boil your feet later.

By the time I look up, he was already half way down the block, weaving in and out of the crowd. Just where was he going? Surely this has to be some shortcut right? I can't imagine him having some kind of business here. I see him entering a small rundown apartment and I quickly catch up.

I stop myself outside a brown wooden door. Taking a step back, I wonder what he was doing in here. Was he visiting someone? My eyes widened, oh my god, was he meeting an escort here? I quickly shook my head, dismissing that thought. There's no way that someone like Naruto would do it...

Although... I narrowed my eyes, that would explain why he keeps disappearing and declining my invitations to spend some time together...

Damn it, I hate my curiosity. I'm probably going to hate myself in the morning for this but against my better judgment, I crank my head up just a bit, just barely looking through the dirty window of the place.

Preparing myself for the worst, I expected to see him shacking up with another woman but instead, what I saw broke my heart. I always suspected that Naruto lived away from everyone else because of what he is but never have I thought that it would be like this. I would have imagined him living in a cabin far from people... not living here in the slums of Konoha.

He sat there, looking tired and defeated. I've never seen him look that way before. He was always so strong, able to hold it all together and that but seeing him right now... really breaks my heart. His apartment, if that's what you want to call a one room disgrace, wasn't exactly welcoming. The walls were grayish, run down and overall, just unlivable by my standards. There was no bed either, just a mattress on the floor by the corner with an orange blanket that was barely big enough to cover him.

There was nothing else inside his apartment, only a small table with a single stool and a broken down refrigerator. Only a single picture on the floor and even the glass was cracked. There were no other personal items there, like gifts from friends or even books/scrolls... I couldn't help but wonder just how he lived his life...

Isolation and solitude...

Two words that would cripple even the strongest of humans and yet, Naruto was able to get up and face the world every day... I certainly would have given up a long time ago...

I felt my eyes water up, tears threatening to drop as my heart bleeds for this man. He's taken a lot of crap from the village over the years, and even more so recently. It's true what they say, you never know a person until you walked in their shoes.

Unconsciously, my hand reached out, lightly touching the glass. I wanted to be there for him, to comfort and tell him that I'm sorry. I was so wrapped up in being angry at him that I never did take the time to thank him for saving the village. If it wasn't for him, Pein would have destroyed the village... and everyone in it.

It wasn't until now that I realized just how much pain and suffering he endured. He could have easily turned his feelings into revenge, righting those who wronged him but he didn't. He endured and pressed on but for what? What was he living for? My respect for him grew but so did the questions.

This was a private moment for him, the one place where he probably considers himself safe from the outside world and I was intruding on him. I wiped the tears from my eyes and walked away. I started this adventure trying to find out more about my partner, my teammate, Uzumaki Naruto and I ended up with more than I bargained with.

I bit my lip, thinking back to when we first started training. I still remembered it as if it were yesterday. He showed up with a confused look and I took advantage of that, jumping right into sparring without waiting for the signal. I'm not trying to brag but my taijutsu was one of the best in the village but for him to continue dodging it without breaking a sweat made me furious. I remember lashing out at him, losing myself in my temper and said some pretty harsh things. I expected him to walk away from all that but he didn't. He stayed the entire day with me, sparring and lecturing as if nothing happened.

There was a feeling around my heart, like a knot getting tighter and I knew what I had to do. I had to show him that I'm not that person anymore. I wanted him to see Hanabi, the jounin, not Hanabi, the princess.

I looked up into the sky, slowly turning from day to night and clenched my fist. "By the gods I swear... I will make things right Naruto... for the both of us..." I whispered to no one but myself.

_Next Day_

_Konoha Training Field 9_

_Hanabi's POV_

"Here." I said, holding out a lunch box wrapped in a traditional red and white blanket. "I brought this for you today."

I spent all night with our chefs, trying to get them to teach me to make something simple. I thought about buying him something fancy from the restaurants but I realized that Naruto wouldn't appreciate it as much. I needed to show him that I was thankful for all that he's done for me and at the same time, apologize for it.

I didn't know what kind of stuff he would eat, so I ended up making a lunch box with some toppings. Nothing to fancy.

He looked at me closely, narrowing his eyes as he moved his hands to slightly touch the box. "Why are you doing this Hanabi? I can't accept this... I didn't do anything to deserve it."

Even now, he's still being the self-righteous bastard but that's who he is. I wouldn't ask him to change because there is nothing about him that I would change and I wanted to tell him that.

He needs to learn that not everything is done conditionally in this world. Even if he's forgotten, I wanted to tell him that love still exists in this world...

I wanted to tell him that it was in thanks for everything that he did...

I wanted to tell him that it was for an apology that was long overdue...

I wanted to tell him that it was for a promise that his life would be better from this point on...

But I couldn't. I thought about what I would do when this moment happened, the times where I would hand him the lunch box and he would look at me and hold me in his arms or where I would just run up to him and kiss him for dear life but none of that mattered. All those plans and scenarios went out the window when he stood there looking at me and my mind went blank. It no longer felt like I was looking at just Naruto, the ninja, but Naruto... the Hero of Konoha .

'_Just go for it you spineless coward!'_ My mind shouted. Mustering all the courage that I have, I pushed the box into his hand and I stepped forward into his personal space, surprising him as I wrapped my arms around his body.

"Thank you..." I whispered as I closed my eyes and felt his body stiffen against the contact. There was no need to explain anything because... somehow... all it took was a hug from me... to tell him everything.

_Naruto's POV_

It felt heavy in my hands, the lunch box that she gave me. From the moment that she pushed it into my hand, I realized that she was going for a hug but it was too late. So much for the 'never get too close to Hanabi' plan.

I stiffened upon contact, my eyes widening in surprise. I didn't know what to do. No one saved Tsunade had hugged me prior and I felt my stomach in knots. Am I supposed to be feeling this way?

"It's okay Hanabi..." I managed to utter out. "I didn't do anything that would have you thanking me..."

"You're an amazing man, Naruto..." She replied, tilting her head up so that I was looking into her eyes. "I'm just sorry it took me this long to realize it."

"A simple 'thank you' would have been suffice." I awkwardly answered back, still holding the box in my hand. "You know I don't like making people do things for me."

I felt a small chuckle, and I kid you not because for the first time in my life, I actually felt someone smile without seeing it. Even though her head was still buried into my chest, I could feel her smiling at me.

"It's time that someone shows you that there is more to life than just living it, Naruto."

"You don't even know who I am though Hana-" My words were cut off as she put her finger to my lips.

"You're wrong Naruto. I mean, you're right that I don't know who you are but that doesn't mean I'm not trying to understand you. I want to be able to know what makes you laugh, what makes you angry and what makes you sad. I don't want to just only be your sparring partner; I want to be your friend."

"My... friend...?"

I shook my head. She's still 21, so she doesn't really know what's going on with the village politics. Being associated with me is like committing career suicide. That's why I'm pushing her away, so that she doesn't get wrapped up with the likes of me. I want her to be able to climb to heights that I will never be able to reach. I want her to be happy with her life and settle down with a man that can make her happy, not be stuck with me whose only holding her back.

I tried to push her away but her grip was strong. "Hanabi." I muttered as I tried to pry her fingers loose. "I can't let you do this. It's not fair to you."

After five minutes of moving around, trying to shake her loose without resorting to extreme force, I let out a sigh. "Are you done here princess?"

"No. Not until you agree that you're my friend." She shot back. "If I have to stick to you all night, I'll do it!"

"You can't be serious Hanabi. There are so many other people that you can be friends with. I won't be much of a friend to you." As much as it pained me to say it, I couldn't back away from this. I have to convince her that this was for the best.

"You don't want me as a friend Hanabi... I don't know what's the first thing in being a good friend. All I know is how to cause pain and misery..." My voice trailed off. As negative as it was, I couldn't help but know how true it is. With Team 7... with the rest of the rookies... They all looked to me as some sort of pillar but no matter how hard I tried, nothing was ever good enough. My past was proof enough.

"When does that matter you idiot? I don't care about your past." She argued. "Everyone's made mistakes in the past, some more than others but it's who we are Naruto. No matter how much we run, we can never escape it. Just like how I am Hyuuga Hanabi, the former heiress to the clan and the Ice Princess of Konoha; You are Uzumaki Naruto, the jinchuuriki of Kyuubi and the Hero of Konoha."

She continued on to lecture me but while I didn't show it, I felt my lips twitch. She sure was a stubborn person. I haven't met anyone this stubborn since Temari and I thought she took the cake. One time during a sparring match, her fan accidentally cracked from the pressure when I rushed her with a stage two Rasengan. She thought the materials in her fan could withstand my technique but no, she disregarded my warning. Even Gaara told her that if she saw me coming at her with the Rasengan, she should dodge and run like hell. Hell, even during the match when I was forming the jutsu, I told her that if she didn't heed my warning, I'm going to destroy her fan.

Of course, it came down to an A - Rank Jutsu against the metals of her fan. With that much pure chakra grinding against it, it came as no surprise when that fan snapped in half. It was an understatement to say that when she swore she'll chase me throughout the entire desert, she would actually do it.

It took a while before Temari calmed down but it was then that I learned about her stubbornness. Everyone else would have given up and forgiven me at that time when I said I would buy her a new fan but she didn't take no for an answer. She told me that the only way she'll let me replace her battle fan is if she beat me in a match.

We departed that day with a new found respect for each other...

I would never tell her but that day... it ended up as one of my favorite memories...

"Naruto?"

Her voice called out to me, knocking me out of my daydream. I no longer found myself in the hot sandy desert, but back here in the luscious greens of Konoha. With a far away gaze in my eyes, I gave her a confused look. "Yes." I answered.

"Huh? Yes what?" She asked, puffing her cheeks in a cute way. "You had this far away look for the past few seconds. Did you get bored of me already?"

I couldn't help but manage a small smile. "Alright... Hanabi... Let's be... friends." I replied. Maybe, just maybe, being friends with someone isn't such a bad thing.

As Hanabi hugged me tighter, I thought to myself, _'You were right Ero-sennin. Making someone smile is worth all the gold in the world. Especially if it's someone who cares a lot about you. I just wish that you were able to tell baa-chan just how much she mattered to you before you died...'_

_Two weeks later_

_Day of the tournament_

_Naruto's POV  
_

"Calm down Hanabi." I said, reminding her for the fifth time today. I suppose it would look bad on us if she continued to act this way. People were beginning to stare and whisper but for the most part, left us alone. Being left alone, I can deal with but I'm pretty sure that it wasn't her that they were whispering about.

Ever since news broke out that the partner of the Ice Princess was none other than the demon himself, she's been approached by many people, ninjas and civilians alike, asking her if she would like to change her mind for a better partner but she furiously turned them down. Even to some point, making an idle threat.

Half of me wanted her to say yes, so she didn't have to deal with this anymore. I could tell she was getting annoyed by all of this drama.

"The nerve of these people!" She harshly whispered, finally taking a seat next to me. "Even on the day of the exam, they still want me to switch." She crossed her arms and started to glare at everyone.

I think they took the hint because everyone started to back away. Messing around with me was one thing but messing around with a pissed off Hyuuga was like a messing with Tsunade and her stash of alcohol. It was just one of those things that you didn't do if you wanted to keep your fingers.

"Anyway" I said, trying to change the subject. "Do you know who we're going up first?" I asked.

Hanabi shook her head. "They should be announcing the match-ups soon. We should head to the arena door to check it out."

I nodded my head. "It's fine. After all the training that we did, we should do pretty well. Do you know who's the favorite to win this competition?"

"Yeah it's -"

"Me dobe." A voice answered, cutting Hanabi off. I didn't even need to know who said that. It was a voice that I spent half my teenage years chasing after. The man whom I once considered my rival, my brother and today, my competition.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

Read, Review, have some cookies. Shouldn't be too long now.


	7. Like Old Times

I want to thank you guys all for the review you guys left. Don't think I don't notice it but I do. I like to think that what I'm doing now will have an impact, even if its small, will change just how people would think about it. Might not make the top 100 favorite stories but I'm damn hell going to try.

A shout out to Wilson for the quick beta! Thanks again bro.

* * *

It is slightly amusing to hear the way Hanabi distastefully uttered out his name. It seemed like it left a bad taste in her mouth. I quietly chuckled but kept my composure. I could tell that she was just as surprised as everyone else to see someone like him approach the team others have deemed, the '_black sheep'_ of the competition but unlike her, I wasn't surprised. I knew Sasuke. He wasn't the type to let someone outshine him in anything. The perfect example of an alpha personality.

I unfortunately had the opportunity to study his personality well. In all my years, I have come across a lot of people. Sadists, rude, aggressive, affectionate and almost everything else.

Once a douche. Always a douche.

So it wasn't a surprise when he singled me out.

"Not even a single greeting for your old teammate dobe? It's no surprise to see why you're such a disgrace. I guess someone forgot to beat the manners into you when we were in the academy. Such a shame really. You would have made a great lapdog."

I could feel the glare that Hanabi was giving Sasuke but I put my hand on her knee, telling her that everything was okay. The last thing I needed was for her to do something rash and get disqualified before the competition.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure gutting a fellow ninja despite his cocky attitude still counts as being disqualified.

She threw me a questionable look and I shook my head, indicating that I didn't want her to do anything. This wasn't her fight, it was mine.

I pushed myself up from the bench and got a good look at my former teammate. "Uchiha." I answered. I could tell that not much has changed with him over the years. His outfit had some minor changes for the style but the primary colors of his clan remained intact. The pride of the Uchiha Clan, once hailed as one of the strongest clans in Konoha, is now reduced to the sole surviving member.

The man took a step forward, a smirk written across his face as he looked me in the eye, almost as if he was trying to provoke a reaction out of me. I knew better though, everyone was now looking at us. The chatter stopped momentarily and everyone held on to their breath, waiting to see what was going to happen next.

A big part of me wanted to deck him across the face and settle this feud between us once and for all. I wanted to tell him that in this very competition... if it came down to just me and him, only one of us will walk away if we met but I didn't. I couldn't. I studied the rules for this competition and it clearly stated that any fighting done outside the official matches was forbidden. Kakashi wanted this to be event to be clean and it was a good way to promote unity among the ninjas in the village.

"Naruto..." I heard Hanabi whispered as she gently put her hand on my arm. I turned my head and saw that look of concern she had for me in her eyes. While her facial expression didn't give her away, her eyes did.

"Damn it Sasuke! Why the hell did you just ditch me like that?" Another voice yelled out. "We're supposed to be equal partners you bastard! I'm not your fucking underling."

Now that was a surprise. I didn't think that I would be running into two of my former friends. Either some higher power must be enjoying a show at my expense or I must have done something wrong in my past life. Like Sasuke, Kiba didn't change much either. Gone was the loud annoying idiot and standing in his place was an even more obnoxious man.

Kiba pushed his way to the front and stopped when he saw us just standing there. Sasuke and I were one step away from brawling and Hanabi was there holding on to my arm. I think he did a double take before a snarl appeared on his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Uzumaki? It's already a fucking shame that Hanabi had no choice but to partner up with you and you're already trying to get her disqualified? I mean seriously, she might have had a chance if she partnered with someone else but with you? Not possible. This is a new low, even for you."

I uttered a low pitch growl and I started to tense up my muscles. He can insult me all he wants but when he starts insulting Hanabi, who had nothing to do with this, he's starting to test my patience.

"You better watch your mouth you mutt. You can spit on me, throw drinks in my face and even dance on my grave when I die but if you _ever_ think about insulting my partner, I will end your petty little life faster than Pein..." I threatened. "Just give me a reason Inuzuka. Just give me a damn reason..."

I stepped away from Sasuke as he too was sporting a glare on his face. Was it because he was being shown up? Or was it because of something else... I didn't have time to think about it as I leaked out a little killing intent for everyone in the room. I have to show them that I'm not some kind of pushover, has-been ninja.

"Come on mutt. We're leaving. We have to prepare for the first match." To everyone's surprise, mine included, Sasuke was the first one to walk away, his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you in the first round Uzumaki. You better not disappoint me."

Oh, that sly sneaky bastard. Sasuke knew we were his opponents in the first round and he wanted to check us out. He was scoping us out the entire time, trying to see where we stand. I narrowed my eyes, if the Uchiha wanted to play, who was I to deny him of his goal? For the first time in a while, I could feel the anticipation building up in my system. I'm anxious to step out there and see how I match up against the great Sasuke.

But Inuzuka... now he is a different story. I could feel the malice pouring out of him. Even now, my fists were still clenched and my eyes were staring straight at the doors that those two just went through. I was so focused that I didn't feel Hanabi rubbing up and down my arm, trying to get my attention.

What the hell is going on with me? I was never one to give into my emotions like this.

Just a few moments ago, I almost lost myself to anger. I forgot about where I was, who I was with and what I was doing. All I saw were their faces and nothing else. I was pretty sure that my fist was going to meet Kiba's face but somehow, Hanabi was able to calm me down. With a simple touch and a few words, she was able to bring me back to reality and that scared me.

What kind of power did she have over me? I know that there were certain feelings developing between us but it can't go any further than that. I kept telling myself over and over again that she can't be with someone like me. She deserves someone who has a bright future, not someone whose future is unpredictable.

I tried to only be friends with her... but it was harder than it looks.

Whatever these feelings are... I didn't know what to make of it and that scares me. All my life, I've been taught that to be a ninja, you cannot be enslaved to your feelings. You need to be able to kill your feelings at a given notice, personal or platonic. Whether I like it or not, I am a living, breathing weapon of mass destruction. I have the powers to destroy anything that crosses my path and yet, the idea of not knowing what I'm feeling petrifies me.

I could feel her fingers rubbing circles against my palm, shaking me out of my thoughts. "Naruto... Are you okay?" The princess asked me, concern now written across her face. I must have zoned out for a few minutes.

"Yeah... I'm fine." I answered, giving her a small smile. "Are you okay Hanabi? I mean, I know you could have defended yourself but I couldn't help it. Something about him pissed me off."

My partner shook her head. "It... was different. I never had anyone stand up for me before. Not even my father. All he did was tell me that in this world, no one will stand up for me and I had to do it for myself and I spent most of my life believing that. Although, it was different with Anko but then again, she pretty much had a problem with everyone."

I bit back a chuckle as I watched her giggle at her own statement. I found myself enticed by the sound of her voice.

"I must say, I would have never pegged you for a gentleman though. Maybe the rough, caveman type but not the chivalrous gentle type. Anko had you all wrong."

I snorted. Anko always painted me in the worst ways. Ever since I made good on my threat to tie her up and slowly burn her precious dango, she was on the warpath, trying to get me back.

"Yeah... well..." I stuttered. Hanabi was looking at me with those eyes again, and I was feeling a bit uncomfortable. She had the same eyes when she noticed the scar on my chest. Even though she was determined to know how I received that scar, I didn't tell her. Only a few people know the true story of this scar and I plan on keeping it that way.

I let out a small cough, "Now that we know who we're up against, how do you want to proceed with this match?"

"I want Sasuke." She answered, with a fox like grin on her face.

"Really?" I asked, surprised at her choice. "Why do you want to face the Uchiha?" I thought she would have gone with the mutt, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to touch him. Not against her taijutsu style anyway. If she went with him, it would have left me with Sasuke and that, would have been checkmate.

"You don't know do you?"

I shook my head. She explained to me that since the formation of the clans, there existed a rivalry between the Hyuuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan, each boasting to each other that their eyes were the superior ones and since Sasuke was the only remaining Uchiha left in the village, this was her only chance in settling the score once and for all.

"Ah, I see. A matter of personal pride then." She nodded her head. I can see where's she's coming from and I could tell that this match between Sasuke will mean a lot for her, in terms of both personal development and career wise.

"Okay, fine but the moment I see you in danger. I'm stepping in." I answered, "I rather have a partner who's alive than in critical condition." Just as she was about to argue, I threw a glare at her. "Not up for discussion princess. I promised Neji to keep you safe and I intend to do that. You want a one on one with Sasuke right? Well I'm giving it to you but I don't trust anyone in this competition. You're more important than winning to me so if you can agree with my rule, I'll abide by yours. Do we have a deal?"

She mulled over it for a minute before nodding her head. "Deal!" She answered, holding out her hand. "But if I do manage to beat Sasuke, you're buying me dinner!"

"Wait, so when you beat him, you're not satisfied with the win but you're also making me take you out to dinner as well?" I asked, acting flabbergast.

Hanabi nodded her head, a big smile on her face. I guess she picked up on the way I phrased it. I didn't use the word if, I used the word when to show that I have complete faith in her. "Yup and I don't want ramen Naruto! I want to go someplace nice!"

I chuckled and shook her hand. It had a nice feeling to it. Compared to the roughness of my hand, hers was soft and smooth and it had a warm feeling to it. I looked at Hanabi and noticed that there was a small tinge of red on her face. I guess she was blushing so I released her hand. I just hope she isn't like Hinata, who fainted. God, I would hate to have a repeat like that.

"Attention competitors. The competition is now about to begin. The Hokage has requested that all participants make their ways to the stands so that we can get this show on the road."

"It's time to show them what we can do. Are you ready?" I asked.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's do this Naruto."

_Konoha Colosseum_  
_Naruto's POV_

While Kakashi was taking his time introducing everyone and explaining the rules, I took the time to see if I recognized any familiar faces. I noticed that the rookie 9 was here, sitting on the opposite side and they were barely attention to the rules as well. It pained me that after all these years, the only interaction that I had with my past friends was from today and that wasn't even a real interaction. It was more like foreplay to a fight.

I let out a quiet sigh. Even after all these years, things still remained the same. I guess the flow of time stops for no one. I would have thought there would be some people that could overcome fear but I guess I was wrong.

Hanabi, on the other hand, was turning her head and looking around, glaring at everyone who dared look our way. I wasn't not sure why she was acting like this but I suspected that it had something to do with the dirty looks that were thrown my way.

I guess she developed an overprotective persona during the time that we spent together. It was just a shame that she had to be like this. I hated that she had to experiences these things because of me.

"Hanabi."

"Yeah?" She answered without looking at me.

"You know you can sit with your friends, right? They keep looking over here and trying to get your attention." I answered and looked at the direction where her friends were currently sitting. "It would be rude if you don't respond in kind."

"Hmph, are you trying to get rid of me already?"

Ah, was that a pout coming from her? Yes, I think she's pouting at me. It was cute in a way, definitely the thing I needed to distract me.

"Of course not. I just want you to enjoy yourself, not worry about me. I'm going to be fine princess. I can take care of myself you know."

"I know but I want to be here."

I quietly said thank you, hoping that she wouldn't hear it but judging from the smile she had on her face, I knew she did.

"Will the team of Uchiha Sasuke / Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hanabi / Uzumaki Naruto please come forward? Your match will now begin."

There it was. The start of the Jounin Competition.

I grabbed Hanabi's hand and looked into her eyes, "Do you trust me Hanabi?" I asked.

"Yes"

I gave her a sincere smile. There was no hesitation on her part. Even for other ninjas when they ask this question to their partners, there is always some hesitation because you never know what kinds of plans are set in motion. It could be that one day, you're partners and the next, you're bitter enemies but with us... it was something else.

Something more.

_Konoha Coliseum Battlefield_  
_Naruto's POV_

"Okay you maggots. You know the rules. In fact, no. No you don't know the rules. Let me make it clear okay? I am the rules, you got that?" Ibiki growled. "When I say the match is over, the match is over. Anyone caught doing something that I don't like is done. Do I make myself clear?"

Even now, Ibiki managed to gain control over the situation. I guess it helps when you're head of the torture and interrogation department. I found myself nodding along with everyone else in the stadium. It was not wise to have this man as your enemy.

"I'm going to pound you to the ground Uzumaki!" Kiba yelled. "I'm going to make you wish you never showed up today!"

I rolled my eyes, leave it to him to make such a declaration like that. I turned my head to glance at my partner and I was surprised to see a grin on her face. I know this grin, it was the same exact grin that Anko got when she was ready to skewer somebody. I shudder to myself as I recall an unpleasant memory involving her and Gai.

"You still want a one on one with Sasuke?" I asked, already knowing her answer. I just needed her to confirm with me right now before Ibiki started the match. She nodded, telling me that's what she wanted.

"Sasuke!" I yelled out. "How about we make this more interesting?" I have to play this part well or else he won't go for it. I know in his head, he had the same plan as me, let the mutt go after my partner while he tries to take me on.

"What did you have in mind dobe?"

"What the fuck Sasuke! Don't listen to him! He's up to something. I know it." Kiba retorted, trying to talk some sense into his partner. "We got this in the bag. With my plans and your skills, we can easily overpower them."

"Shut up mutt." Sasuke coldly replied. Okay, that surprised me. I didn't expect it to be like this but who am I to say anything. I think this can actually work. "I don't have all day dobe."

"Let's have a one on one match. Hanabi here would like to fight you without the interference of your one track mind partner. I promise on my word that I will not interfere with this fight. What do you say?"

I watch him mull over this. Kiba was fuming. To be exact, I could tell he was ready to kill someone. I guess this wasn't what he had in mind. "Fuck you Uzu-"

"Agreed." Sasuke answered, cutting off his partner. "Kiba, stay out of this or I'll kill you."

His partner took a step back, surprise written across his face but nonetheless, he took a step back. I smiled and nodded to Ibiki, who signaled the start of the fight.

"Go get them princess." There was nothing else that needed to be said. All the training that we did, the sweat, the blood, the tears. It was all for this moment. I must have gotten through to her because she gave me a tight hug before running towards Sasuke who was already in his stance.

I took my seat against the wall, watching the fight with interest. I honestly couldn't tell how this match will go. I mean, I know Hanabi's skills since we trained together for the past month but Sasuke was different. I've always known him to be a genius and with those eyes of his, especially with his mangekyou sharingan, it makes him a formidable opponent.

With her byakugan activated, she had nearly a 360 degree vision so I wasn't afraid of Sasuke rushing in and dominating her with his speed. Watching them fight reminded me of my fight with Neji. The way that Hanabi was playing this safe is a testament to the teachings of her clan but combined with Anko's teaching and my wild, unpredictable brawling style, Sasuke might actually go down.

"Go get that emo-bastard princess!"

"Win this for that idiot of yours Hanabi-chan!"

I groan to myself. It didn't take long for me to track down the source of all those screams. It also didn't help that the people who were screaming was sitting next to Kakashi who had an amused smile on his face. I wanted to bang my head against the wall and kept banging it until the blood miraculously block out my hearing. I wonder if I could get disqualified for being a danger to myself.

Of all the people to be yelling, it had to be Tsunade and Anko. What also made matters worse was that they were already drinking!

"Hakke Hasangeki."

Hearing Hanabi yell out that name diverted my attention back to the fight. She was sporting multiple bruises on her arm from Sasuke but her last attack caught him off guard. Just seeing him being slammed into the wall made me wince. I could personally vouch that her attack just now hurt like a bitch.

Sasuke slowly got up and spat out some blood. His sharingan was already spinning and I could tell that he already had a plan in mind. I could see Hanabi smirking as she taunted her opponent on.

"That's the way midget-san!" Anko shouted. "Show him that your man Naruto has bigger balls than him!"

My eyes widened, "Shu-shut up Anko! Stop distracting her!"

"Housenka Tsumabeni no Jutsu."

"Hakkeshou Kaiten." Hanabi shouted, countering the Uchiha's jutsu but I saw Sasuke smile. Like literally, the man never smiled unless it was for something good. He quickly touched his wrist, revealing a summoning tattoo and summoned two windmill shurikens attached two multiple wires. He threw it with such force that Kiba had to jump out of the way, trying to avoid being collateral damage.

Smart move Sasuke. You led her on a merry chase and engaged her in a taijutsu match first. You wanted her to exhaust her arms so that she can't keep up her Kaiten for much longer and with the ninja wire attached to those shurikens, you're planning on forcing her into submission.

Just like I predicted, Hanabi was gasping for air by the time she ended her Kaiten and found herself trapped within the ninja wire. I could tell she was fidgeting around, struggling to break free and the signs of blood leaking from her wounds proved it.

"Do you give up Hyuuga? Or do I have to burn you to a crisp?" Sasuke held up his hand covered one eye, the sign for the Amaterasu.

"Like... HELL!" Hanabi yelled. "Juukenpou Ichigekishin."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he watched those ninja wires snap in two and I bet, with his eyes, he could see the chakra attack coming at him. He jumped out of the way and stuck to the top of the wall.

I couldn't help but smirk. This was why geniuses are so overrated. They have a plan and they expect everything to go according to plan but where that is their strength, that is also their weakness. Life isn't a plan. People aren't a plan. We're the wild cards in life. You have to either roll with the punches or you become the punching bag. I bet Sasuke's feeling a bit pressured at the moment.

That's the way Hanabi. I thought to myself. You have to keep the pressure on or else they'll keep coming back.

"Fine Hyuuga. Play with this!." Sasuke snarled out. "Chidori Senbon!"

I let out a small whistle, amazed at the sheer amount that Sasuke was actually capable of producing. This couldn't be good for Hanabi. She was almost at her limit. I told her that we needed to boost up her stamina but no, she said she was going to rely on her Juuken to end the match quickly. I couldn't believe I agreed to her assessment. I knew I should have sent her to run laps around Konoha.

Before I knew it, she was already on the ground rolling and dodging Sasuke's attack but I had to give it to her. While she was doing that, she was throwing out Hakke Hasangeki at a fast rate, some of them actually hitting him in the chest.

I guess somewhere in the middle of those attacks, it must have collided and caused a smokescreen made out of dust. I could hear them panting slightly and I knew Sasuke was on the other end of the field, waiting for her to make a move.

"Naruto!" Hanabi yelled, her voice filled with pain. My eyes quickly adjusted to the smokescreen and I saw her on the ground, with Kiba standing on top with his sharp claws baring on her throat. I see now why she yelled out my name. If she made any attempt in throwing him off, he might accidental slit her throat.

"Inuzuka..." I growled. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Winning." He replied, smirking. "In case you've forgotten, this is a partner's competition. Sasuke may have made a deal with you but I never did. I'm winning this match whether you like it or not. Give up this match now or I will rip out her throat." To make his point clear, he moved his finger closer and a little blood dripped out.

"Surrender or you'll be responsible for her death as well." Kiba yelled. At this point, Hanabi bit her lips, trying to keep herself calm and analyze the situation. Me, on the other hand, already had a plan and that was to rip him to pieces.

The first rule for all ninjas is to always make sure that you do the research against your opponent. It may very well mean the difference between life and death, winning and losing. For Kiba's sake, he failed to realize just who he was dealing with. He's forgotten that I'm not like everyone else. I am Uzumaki Naruto, the man who defeated Pein, an enemy who was strong enough to almost destroy Konoha and reduce its forces to nothing.

The moment I saw a few drops of blood leak out, my body reacted instantly and I took a step forward. Then another step. Within three steps, I was already behind Kiba, with my Kaze no Yaiba activated and pointed at his family jewels.

"Let her go Kiba and honor the agreement... or else, it will be uncomfortable going through life pretending to be a woman."

The smirk from his face vanished when he realized the implication of my threat and I could see him debating if it was worth winning this competition or go through live as a woman.

"What will it be mutt? My hand's getting tired you know." To make my point any clearer, I lowered my hand, effectively slicing into his cloth, drawing some blood in the process. "Woops." I replied, my eyes never leaving his.

"Move your hand Kiba." Hanabi softly said. "It's not worth the ass-beating that I'm going to give you when this is over."

I'm not sure how she does it, even in this situation, she still manages to throw out some wise-crack. It's just like Anko to pass on nothing but her fiery personality to the next generation. I should seriously rethink about having that talk with the both of them and how bad of an influence Anko is on her. Maybe I could recommend a new mentor... maybe Kurenai or someone...

"Chidori Eisou"

The sound of static popping in the air made my turn my head slightly and saw a spear of lightning making its way towards Hanabi. Before I could react, it was at Hanabi's throat and I could see a slight tinge of fear in her eyes.

"Drop it." Sasuke demanded. He took his time walking towards us but held his weapon steady against her throat.

"Make me." I replied, taunting him. I needed him to slip up because in this case, if he does, the only one that would be regretting it would be Kiba since Sasuke's blade is on top of his wrist. It's a win win for us. Kiba must have known it too because he actually had a bewildered expression on his face.

"Is the big bad Uchiha afraid of one village pariah? Tell me you're not afraid of me." I continued throwing insults and basically anything that would get him angry. At this point, Hanabi redirected her glare to me, as if she was looking to kill me with her eyes. I guess I would have to do more than apologize to her later. She really hated whenever I'm in this kind of mood.

"What the fuck Uchiha? Why did you put it on top of my wrist? Move it someplace else damn it." Kiba yelled, turning his head to his partner. "Move it to Uzumaki's balls!"

"No." Sasuke replied. Now, that was unexpected. Several gasps were head through the stadium. I'm guessing the turn of events surprised some people. "What do you think you're doing mutt? Did I not tell you to stay out of this?"

"I'm fucking winning this match. It's called deception. Something that you should be an expert on." Kiba snarled. "Seeing as how you had plenty of experience doing that."

"I told you that if you interfered, I'd kill you." The Uchiha coldly responded before delivering a firm backhand to his partners face. Kiba flew hard into the stadium walls, causing everyone to wince at the impact. He slowly releases the jutsu and stepped away, allowing me to help Hanabi up.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my eyes checking for any other injury. A quick hand seal and my hand grew green, healing the would on her neck.

"This fight is over." Sasuke answered. "You won."

Her eyes widened, shocked at the statement. "Wh-what? It's not finished. We still don't know what would have happened if your idiot of a partner didn't interfere."

"Hanabi... It's fine." She turned and looked at me, confusion clearly written across her face. "You did a great job, not many people can actually go toe to toe with him and force him to be serious. This is your victory."

A small smile appeared on her face and I knew that it would do for now. I pulled her close to me, giving her a hug and turned to Sasuke. "What now? Your partner is incapable of continuing and you already conceded your lost to Hanabi."

"I think you know what's next dobe."

Of course I know. It was something that we both wanted for a while. A fight between rivals. Even if he didn't publicly acknowledge it, he considered me a rival. There was no one else that he could really test his limits against. I don't even think Kakashi's on his radar anymore.

I sighed and reached into my pockets. "Here." I threw a soldier pill to Sasuke which he gladly took. "Any restrictions Sasuke?"

He shook his head, "Just come at me with the intent to kill."

Wise ass. Using the same line as Kakashi when we took our genin exams.

"Are you seriously going to fight him now Naruto?" Hanabi whispered, her hands tightly holding onto my shirt. I just realized that we were still in a hug, with her arms against my chest.

"Yeah... it's time."

Like Sasuke, there wasn't anyone else here that would really spar with me, not with the same intensity as him.

"Just... just be careful okay?" It was endearing, to see her blush as she said it. "I rather not have dinner if it means you being able to come back to me."

"That's... a promise of a lifetime Hanabi." I didn't exactly want it to come out that way but I guess even now, the old Naruto was still in there.

With that, I walked forward, to meet Sasuke in the center of the ring. I made sure that Hanabi was safely on the other side, next to Ibiki before anything started. I wasn't going to be like the Uchiha and allow any harm to come to her.

I guess, whether I admit it or not, she became an important person in my life. It's just a matter of how much I want to keep fooling myself. Maybe... I'll tell her about it when this is all over...

"You finally ready dobe?" The Uchiha asked. He slipped into his traditional stance and looked at me, his sharingan already out.

Just like almost a decade ago, we were just genin on the same team, each with our own goals and dreams. We still stand here, fighting for those same beliefs. No matter how much time has past, the bond that we share, isn't as fragile as some might believe. It's just like how Jiraiya always told me, the only thing that won't let you down is those fists of yours.

I intend to find out just how much the old pervert was right.

* * *

Another chapter complete. Like it? Hate it? Let me know. Thanks.


	8. Self Realization

Yeah, I know. It took a while but I had trouble with this chapter. I couldn't get the scene to write even though I had it in my mind. I don't know how well this chapter did but for almost 6k words, I can only hope. I hope you all enjoy it and continue to stick with me even though I'm slow like a snail ;x.

Shoutout to my beta Wilson who made time for me. Thanks and always a pleasure.

* * *

_Naruto's POV  
Konoha Stadium_

Some might have decreed that it was fate, that the fight between Sasuke and I was destined to happen. No matter what path we took, eventually, our paths would have intersected one way or another... and given our past history together, I might be inclined to agree.

You see, we're not your average kind of ninja. In fact, we're just the total opposite. Why you ask? Well, I'll tell you why. When you think of a typical ninja, you think of the greats, like Kakashi, the Copy Cat Ninja or Tsunade, the Legendary Sannin. These are the kind of people that you want your kids to admire, to have as a role model. They were strong, charismatic, honorable and above all, they have a strong sense of justice.

Sadly, neither of us meet those criteria. In fact, both of our stories weren't that much different. Both of us were raised without parents, the difference was that Sasuke actually knew his but I never did. It was due to his clan's genocide that drove him to the brink of desperation, where his soul was blackened and tarnished. I, on the other hand, was abandoned by everyone. They made me the scion of the village, a scapegoat for anything and everything that went wrong in the village.

I wanted nothing more than a chance to prove myself, and when that chance finally came, I gladly took it. I never did question why the dead last of the class was paired up with the rookie of the year.

Maybe that was how the system worked.

Or maybe... that was how fate worked.

We fought many times over the years, some battles worse than others. At first, it started with some bruises from our spars but it slow elevated to minor scars... and it only went to hell from there. The more we fought, the more intense it became. By the end of the great third ninja war, we were bitter enemies on the battlefield.

He was driven by revenge for his brother, and his hatred for Konoha.

I was driven by my desire to protect those whom I care for.

It came as no surprise to anyone that we were destined to meet that day. I was the only obstacle that stood in the way of his revenge. We fought for several hours and new scars were formed, bonds were broken and tears were spilled that day.

It cost me everything but I kept my promise to her... but was the price worth it?

I lost everything dear to me that day, and for a while, I fell into the darkness. Tsunade told me that the light in my eyes was getting dimmer and dimmer but I told her I was fine, that this was just a phase. Despite her nagging, I found myself caring less and less. Eating became a chore and bathing was unnecessary. The only thing that I wanted to do was just close my eyes and bathe in the darkness, in the solitude of my own personal hell...

Sasuke, on the other hand, was doing fine. He was slowly adapting back into the social structure of the village and with the help of the others, the Uchiha name was coming back. I guess even after all the things that he's done; people will always welcome him back with open arms.

Life is just unfair like that...

That's why we're here now, in the stadium about to clash. I could feel everyone's eyes on us, waiting to see what the two top-tier ninjas of our generation will do.

The Uchiha Avenger...

The Fallen Hero...

Just who will come out on top? I shook my head in disgust at the way they were ogling us. I tried my best to ignore this attention, knowing that they weren't here to see a fight... they were here to see a brutal, gory match. They wanted to see me broken and bleeding on the floor.

While Sasuke popped the soldier pill in his mouth, I saw Hanabi slowly making her way over to Ibiki, a worried expression on her face. I gave her a comforting smile but that didn't ease her worries.

"Ready dobe?"

I nodded my head, "Bring it on teme."

I took my eyes off Hanabi and focused my attention back on my opponent. I had to remember that this wasn't just any opponent. This was Uchiha Sasuke, the man who knew me just as well as I knew him. We practically grew up with each other, despite our differences.

"Chidori!" Sasuke yelled. The familiar sound of the chirping birds filled my ears and my eyes focused on the elemental chakra surrounding his hand. "You better come at me with the intent to kill Naruto, because if you don't, I'm going to put you six feet under!"

I jumped back, thrusting my palm forward and concentrated. "Rasengan!" I shouted.

Lightning elemental jutsu meet non elemental jutsu.

I threw my power into the attack, meeting his attack head on. We struggled for dominance for a few seconds, neither of us giving up any ground.

"What are you going to do now Sasuke?" I grunted out, "It's a stalemate."

"Stalemate? What stalemate? Did those years deteriorate your eyesight as well as your skills?" Sasuke retorted. "Take a closer look!"

That's when I noticed that his left arm was lowered and I could literally see him gathering chakra at a fast pace. My eyes widened. What the hell? When was he able to do that?

"Daburu Chidori!"

Holy crap. With just a split second, I narrowly dodged the second Chidori attack that was aimed for my ribs. I twisted my body and pulled my left arm back, another Rasengan forming on the center of my palm.

"Eat it Sasuke!" I roared and thrust my palm forward.

"Too slow dobe."

"What.." That was all I managed to get out before my eyes caught the look in his. Shit! He pulled out the Mangekyou Sharingan. I dropped the power in the Rasengan, hoping to use it as momentum to pull away from him. I spun my body, throwing a quick elbow to throw him off balance.

The last thing I wanted was to be caught in that damned jutsu again.

I saw Sasuke duck under the elbow and I grinned. I guess even the genius can be surprised. I took this chance to step back and gain some distance but apparently, the moment I did that, the Uchiha took a step forward and rammed his head against mine, causing me to staggered back in pain and out of instinct, my eyes opened.

"Tsukuyomi."

_Hanabi's POV_

I found myself biting the bottom of my lip. I know, it's a bad habit for a heiress but titles be damn. I'm worried about him. If he was matched up against someone else, I wouldn't be like this but as fate would have it, he was fighting against Uchiha Sasuke.

I hate this.

I don't understand for the life of me why he would go out and fight against the Uchiha. We already won this match so why is he taking an unnecessary risk? We could have doubled team the bastard but oh no, he wanted to take him on in a fair fight.

"Take it easy there Hyuuga. He's going to be just fine."

I turned my head in surprise. "Wh-what? Who said anything about me being worried?" I could feel the heat gathering to my cheeks, full well knowing that I was blushing right now.

The man scoffed, "Please. I think I deserve some more credit than this. I am, after all, the head of Interrogation. You're like an open book Hanabi... too easy to read."

As he started listing off the tell-tale signs of someone who's worried, my blush became even redder and I'm pretty sure that I was a distant cousin of a tomato now.

"Okay, enough! I'm worried okay? I'm pretty sure I have the right as his teammate to be." I replied, hoping to end this embarrassing conversation now.

"Right..." Ibiki answered, a smirk on his face. "You know, Uzumaki isn't out there fighting for himself."

"Are you insisting that he's out there because of someone's idea of a joke? That they want him to suffer at the hands of the great Uchiha? HUH? Is that _IT!_?" Anger ran through my body and I wanted nothing more than to Juken this fool to death.

"Calm down Hanabi. That's not what I meant." He answered, his eyes never leaving the field.

"Then explain yourself." I all but growled. He was one step away from being fatally killed by a small but dangerous girl.

"I knew the kid way before you even got out of your diapers so when I tell you that I know the kid, I know the kid. I've seen him grow up from a shitty, pranking brat to the ninja that he is today. People have thrown shit at him his entire life and the things that he experienced... it could even break the strongest of people. Time and time again, this brat never caught a break. Anyone else would have given up and resigned to their fate but not him. The kid doesn't know the meaning of quitting."

I frowned slightly, surprised at what Ibiki was telling me. I didn't know Naruto had a hard life before this. In fact, now that I think about it, I don't know anything about his childhood. The only thing that I do know is what he had on his records...

It wasn't like I could go around asking, 'Hey, can you tell me about Uzumaki Naruto?' I'm sure people would be thrilled to talk about him...

That name still brought out the worst in people. It's not like I could blame them, I used to be one of them, a closed-minded idiot who only believed what I was told.

I shook my head, knowing that if I continued to ponder about this, I would only come up with more questions than answers. I need to find someone who knew Naruto better than he did...

Someone like... the Hokage? or maybe Tsunade-sama.

"You got a good partner Hanabi. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise." Ibiki suddenly said, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"What do you mean by that?" I softly replied, my eyes returning to the match.

"Naruto's... different..." He said, hesitation present in his voice. It was almost if he was choosing his words carefully. "I've seen him at his worst and I've seen him at his best but what he's doing today... this is something else..."

Something else huh...? I watched my partner out there, fighting in this competition for no one else but me and that's when I realized what Ibiki was trying to say...

"He's doing this... for me... isn't he?" I asked.

No words were said but the feeling that I got only proved my point. Ibiki was right, I did find myself a good partner. I shuddered to think what would have happened if it was someone else. What if I teamed up with my sister? Would I still be the person that I am today?

I ponder that thought as I watched the two on the field, smiles on both of their faces. The struggle for dominance between the Chidori and Rasengan continued to hold my gaze and when Sasuke quickly pulled out the second one with his other hand, I found myself holding on to a breathe that I didn't know I had.

"Dodge it Naruto!" I shouted and then quickly covered my mouth. I can't believe I just did that. I heard Ibiki chuckle and ignored him. I suddenly found myself caring more about my partner's well-being than this stupid match.

"Oh... this is not going to end well for the kid..." Ibiki quietly said. "The Uchiha just pulled out his trump card."

"Naruto..." I replied, concern in my voice. "Please be safe..." The last part came out as a whisper but I only prayed that nothing bad would come out from this. He has already suffered enough and when I entered this competition, I didn't think that I would be causing even more pain and suffering.

I heard the Uchiha utter that one name and it was enough to send chills down my back. Everyone knows of the famed skill set that came with the Uchiha Doujutsu. There were three of them... three unique skills that complimented each other perfectly... but it came at a price.

There was Amaterasu, a powerful fire technique with flames that could burn through anything; Susanoo, the strongest armor that was said to protect the user from all harm and finally, Tsukuyomi, the most powerful genjutsu known to man. All three of these jutsus are said to be deadly and only a few managed to escape with their lives intact.

Kakashi was one of the few lucky or unlucky ones that experienced the Tsukuyomi from Itachi, Sasuke's now deceased brother. On one hand, he was unlucky enough to get caught in it but lucky enough that he survived. After that day, the pain that he experienced changed him.

The only other person who experienced this was Naruto himself and if the stories were true, he experienced it a couple of times throughout his life. He never spoke about it to anyone but if the rumors were true, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

So that was why when I heard the Uchiha called forth Tsukuyomi, I felt like everything was moving at a slow pace. I could hear my heart pounding inside my chest and I could only pray that he wasn't caught in the jutsu. Seconds passed until finally, the Uchiha took a step back, panting while my partner dropped to his knees, a blank and distant look on his face.

This... this can't be happening... I could feel my strength being sapped away, and my knees slowly gave up.

"Na... Naruto!" I cried. I forced myself back up but before I could go any further, Ibiki stood in front of me. "Move!" I wanted to push the man out of the way. I have to help him. I yelled at my body, begging it to move, to run, to crawl, to do something to help him!

"Think for a minute Hanabi! How are you going to help him? Even Tsunade-sama confirmed that once the victim is locked inside, the only way to break it is by those affected and last time I checked, neither one of them are you."

"But," I answered, trying to give an excuse, any excuse to be out there and do something.

"Believe in your partner... Believe in Naruto." Ibiki sternly replied, "If there's anyone you can count on, it's him."

"Oh Naruto..." I whispered.

_Naruto's POV  
The world of Tsukuyomi_

"Son of a bitch!" I screamed. "Sasuke!"

Pain rippled through my body as every sword left a small but shallow cut all over my body. I know this is a genjutsu. My body knows this is a genjutsu but the rational mind fails to recognize it. Get with the damn program you stupid brain of mine.

"It's familiar isn't it dobe? The last time we were here, you managed to break free of this in under a minute." Sasuke's voice echoed throughout the realm.

More swords appeared out of thin air and started cutting me. Even though they were fake, they still stung like hell.

"How the mighty have fallen."

"Like you're one to talk Sasuke." I spat out. "If I recall correctly, I stomped your ass to the ground. I thought you wanted to settle the score with me. What happened to that huh?"

From the shadows, I saw a figure emerged from darkness and I knew it was him. He was always one for flashy entrances. Just like the time during our first Chunnin Exams. Appearing in a Shunshin and capturing everyone's attention with it. Even I had to admit, I was pretty jealous when he did it.

Back when I was just a hyperactive, no good, pranking idiot in an orange jumpsuit. I still couldn't believe that one time in my life... I thought it was the coolest thing since Ramen.

"This isn't about me dobe and you know it."

I struggled against the metallic chains, hoping to break free. The last time I was here, I had the help of Kyuubi. Strangely enough, he really detested the idea of being locked in this place.

"Stop struggling. It's useless. You don't have Kyuubi anymore. You're nothing but a broken man. A broken... pathetic... man... who had his dreams crushed, his soul tortured... his life... became meaningless."

He casually strolled around me, a blade in hand. "It's sad really. You claimed that I've fallen into darkness but yet, you probably know the feeling better than I do. We are the same, you and I. Both of us actually stepped into the darkness, but only one of us managed to tame it."

"You lie." I replied, venom in my voice. "I swear teme... when this ends, I'm going to rip you to shreds."

He laughed and swung his sword, nicking me across the chest. "I'm not the liar here. You just refuse to believe the truth. Now where did that go-happy idiot that I used to know go? The one who used to scream about becoming the Hokage?"

I said nothing but the expression on my face was murderous. How dare he try to lecture me? How dare the filthy traitor try to act if he was better than me? He knows nothing of the pain that I went through.

"Tell me... dobe. Where. Did. He. Go?" Sasuke asked. He held the sword up and for a split second, the look in his eyes answered my unasked question.

I couldn't hold it in when he suddenly stabbed the sword through the right side of my chest. A few seconds later, the wound disappeared and two more swords appeared in his hands. He didn't bother waiting and just stabbed me through the ribs this time.

"Answer me damn it."

I could feel my strength slowly leaving my body and I gasped for air. "He's dead teme."

It's true. My old personality, the one where I used to have dreams about being Hokage is over. It died the day Akatsuki attacked us. It died along with everyone else.

"You're full of shit idiot." Sasuke retorted as he stabbed me again in my legs and my arms. "The dobe that I used to know wouldn't have given up. He didn't give up when he fought with his life to bring me back. To pull me away from the darkness."

"And why do you care where that idiot went?" I snarled back. "It's not like anyone cared! He was hurting for weeks and did anyone bother to come check up on him? No! No one even bothered to see if he was dead or alive!"

Sasuke shook his head. "You wanted me to come knock on your door to check up on you? Are you frickin' kidding me? I'm a goddamn ninja, not your babysitter who has nothing but time to listen to your damn problems. If you wanted help, go see a shrink because I have better things to do. I will not speak for the rest of those idiots but I do not care for pathetic people. Why don't you crawl out of that little pitiful hole you call a life and show me where that man went?"

Rage filled my eyes and I continued to struggle against these illusionary yet solid iron chains. I was done listening to him. Forget about the wounds on my body. Just focus on getting free from here. Focus on connecting my fist with his face.

Ignore his taunts.

Focus on only one thing. His face.

Concentrate.

"Bite me teme." I said. My body jerked around, trying to break free of these restraints. "If this is your way of patching things up between us, then you must be delusional. I don't need anyone's help! I refuse to let anyone help me!"

"Then... I'm sorry Naruto..." Sasuke replied, his eyes staring straight at me. "I never wanted for this to happen but you forced my hand here. I wanted to pull you out of the darkness just like how you did for me but I see that you're too far gone. I... can't help you anymore..."

My eyes widened, "Wh-what the hell does that mean?"

Sasuke shook his head and sighed. "It means that... I'm going to kill you." Lightning once more engulfed his hand. The loud humming sound filled my ears and I shook my head. "With my new abilities, if you die here... it's like dying in reality. I'm truly sorry Naruto but I can't let you walk down this path anymore."

"This ends here!" He rammed his hand through my chest. Lightning surged through my body, pain causing every organ and limb in my system to spasm and shake. Oh god, it really feels like I'm being burned alive from the inside out. For the first few seconds, I tried to endure it, gritting my teeth stop screaming. I keep telling myself that this is nothing new. I've been through much worse.

Seconds became minutes as the pain continued to increase and I couldn't take it anymore.

A blood-curling scream escaped from my lips and I could almost feel my body giving out. I was almost ready to pass out... or die... whatever came first. I have no regrets... Everything that I've done so far was for the benefit of the village and others...

So why do I feel so guilty? Images starting flying before my eyes and I instantly recognize these images...

I see Tsunade being heartbroken...

Shizune crying on the floor...

Kakashi in a stage of depression...

And more surprisingly, I see Hanabi... crying on my grave, tears flowing down her beautiful face. The grief she was experiencing...

No! My mind screamed. I can't leave her behind like this. Not after everything that we've been through.

'_LIVE!'_

My eyes suddenly jerked opened and Sasuke took a step back, surprised by the sudden movement. The lightning slowly dissipated from his hand and shock was written across his face.

"It's never over teme." I replied, panting heavily for hair. "Even if you keep knocking me down, I'll keep getting back up. You can stab me, pierce me, burn me, and whatever else you can think of, I will always keep getting back up."

With a huge effort, I yanked myself free, breaking the iron bonds that held me in place. "Illusions are nothing but ideas implanted into the victim's head to suppress their will but if the victim's will is stronger than the caster's, then it makes the illusion obsolete. I was lost before Sasuke... but somehow... you managed to do the one thing that I couldn't do... and that was to show me the way back."

Sasuke shook his head. "Shut it dobe. I didn't do this for you. I did it for me. The only reason why I entered this competition was to fight you. Did you honestly think I give a damn about what the mutt or anyone else thinks? Hell no. Ever since you dropped off the map like a pathetic loser, there was no one else that could keep up with me. Not even Kakashi. I only wanted to fight you at your best, not at your worst."

He looked around and sighed. "Looks like we'll have to continue this outside." The world of Tsukuyomi suddenly came crumbling down and the next thing I know, we were back in the outside world.

I instantly dropped to my knees, the same with Sasuke. The both of us felt the strain on our bodies but I could see a smirk on his face.

I think that was the closest thing to a smile but I'll take it.

He was right. As I looked around, I didn't see the world in the shades of grey anymore. Sure, there are people out there that wanted me dead and I was still a pariah in the village but I didn't care anymore.

Nothing else mattered as long as I have people who still believed in me... Particularly someone who was standing there on the field with me now...

She stood there... looking worried and tears threatened to spill out of her beautiful face. I just wanted to walk over there, to wipe those tears off and promise her that everything will be alright. More than that, I wanted to give her a hug, to feel her in my embrace one more.

But that would have to wait. I have a score to settle. With the self-proclaimed pompous ass who thinks that no one could keep up with him.

It was time to settle this.

I looked at Sasuke and saw that he already had the Eternal Sharingan activated. I chuckled and closed my eyes. I began to feel for the nature around me, drawing their energies from the surrounding area.

Fukasaku always praised me that I was nothing like Jiraiya and I took that compliment in stride. I had nothing against my master but from what I heard, he was more of an airhead than me. Where it took him a few years to master or even attempt to master this art, I finished it in a couple of months.

He's probably up there grumbling about how there were more important things in life than becoming ugly, like seeing those amazing breasts on women bouncing up and down as they frolic in the waters.

"Susanoo!" Sasuke yelled. "Yasaka no Magatama!"

I didn't need to open my eyes to feel the dark chakra that surrounded Sasuke. I already knew his version of the attack. I could hear everyone gasping at the amount of chakra that was being generated into that attack.

My hands quickly formed the familiar signs and a pair of clones appeared, both already in sage mode. My eyes opened and his attack came flying at me. I've seen both Uchihas perform this technique but only one of them ever used it on me.

I barely got away last time but today, I was ready.

"Senpou - Oodama Rasengan" I shouted as two fully charged stage four Rasengan appeared in my hands. I leaped towards the incoming attack and shoved my attack against it

Jutsu vs Jutsu.

I pumped even more power into my attack and before I knew it, the attack exploded, causing dust and debris to fly all over the place. Taking advantage of the smokescreen, two more clones popped into existence. While the Uchiha covered his eyes, my plan was already in motion.

If Sasuke and everyone thought the Chidori and Raikiri made loud chirping noises, they haven't seen anything yet.

_Hanabi's POV_

Ibiki was right. Putting my faith into Naruto was the right thing to do. As much as it pained me to see him getting hurt out there because of me, I needed to believe in him.

I have to. I have to believe that he would come back to me.

That's why I almost lost it when the Uchiha used that technique on him. I knew what it did to a person and I couldn't bear the idea that it was happening to Naruto.

I couldn't even begin to imagine just what kind of torture and pain he went through while trapped in that genjutsu. While it lasted a few seconds, it must have felt like a lifetime for him.

There was nothing to be ashamed about. I had the right to be worried about him. After all, he's my partner.

When they both suddenly dropped down to their knees, my worrying increased and tears started to form in my eyes. I struggled to hold them back but failed miserably.

No more I silently plead. Please Naruto, you don't have to do this anymore.

I didn't want to watch this anymore. This was no longer a competition between fighters, it felt more like I was watching them fight to the death.

"Stop it... please..." I whispered, my arms clutched to my sides.

"I can't Hanabi." Ibiki answered. He must have overheard me. "Those are the rules set forth by the Hokage himself. If neither of them is in any mortal danger, they will continue to fight until one gives up."

"Mortal danger? Do our standards even apply to those two?" I half shouted. "You have the last Uchiha with the most powerful doujutsu in this village against the man who single-handedly ended the Fourth Great Shinobi War. There is no such thing as a friendly competition between those two!"

"It's not my decision to make." He growled. "I'm sure Kakashi will step in if needed."

That didn't sound reassuring. I didn't know who he was trying to convince, me or himself.

"You think the Hokage will be able to stop THAT?" I shouted when I saw Susanoo appear on the field, surrounding Sasuke. "How the hell is he going to do that?"

I literally grabbed Ibiki by his dark trench coat and pulled him down to my eye level. "I swear upon all the gods in this world, if anything happens to Naruto out there, you better pray that you can sleep with one eye open because I'll be coming for you and I won't be alone. I'm sure Tsunade-sama will want to have a word with you as well. For both your sake and Kakashi's, you better end this match now."

"I... uh... I..." Ibiki started to say, stammering as if he was trying to get words out. I leaked out some killing intent, wanting to get my point across.

"You're so dead!" I shouted at Ibiki as I watch Naruto formed a pair of giant Rasengans before leaping towards the attack that Susanoo just launched.

The attack collided head on, the explosion causing dust to fly everywhere. The force of it forced all of us to take a step back and cover our eyes but Sasuke was sent skidding backwards. I waited for any signs of my partner but as the dust continued to blanket the field, everyone held on to their breath, including me as well.

Seconds continued to tick and my eyes were still searching the field. Even if he was caught up in the explosion, the law of gravity should have taken effect and his body should have hit the ground by now.

Unless... he... My eyes widened, trying to keep my emotions intact. He couldn't have just been vaporized... I didn't want to believe that ludicrous notion. I needed to keep looking, maybe the noise of the explosion masked the sound of his body hitting the floor.

If only I could just ignore the loud screeching sound. God some people just have no respect for the match, only caring for their own personal entertainment. Just because the stadium was silent does not give anyone the right to introduce their own sound effects. I scrunched up my face, trying to locate Naruto.

The sound only grew louder as suddenly, the dust that once covered the arena was expelled and what I saw was Naruto holding is something that could only be described as... beautiful...

It was magnificent. The attack reminded me of the pinwheel toy that I had when I was younger. It was actually spinning in his hands... like a fan in motion.

He landed on top of the Uchiha, catching him by surprise. His attack mere inches away from his neck. "Do you yield?" Naruto asked, his voice echoing throughout the arena.

Sasuke merely nodded, his eyes locked onto Naruto's attack.

Ibiki coughed and took a step forward. "Uchiha Sasuke has surrendered. The winners of this match go to Hyuuga Hanabi and Uzumaki Naruto!"

* * *

Next up, the confrontation of the other Rookie 9. How will they react? Who will win this tournament? When will Naruto and Hanabi finally get their "I want to be more than friends" talk? Will I get a chance to own Naruto? Stay tune for the next chapter in _My Unconventional Mask. _

Read and Review!


	9. A New Path

Whoops, taken a bit too long to update this sorry. Apologies. There was some talk about stories being removed from FanFiction and I absolutely still do not understand it. Has it already happened or still happening? Meh, whatever the case, I'll continue to write as that never happened.

Please take into consideration that this chapter **has not been beta'd**. I did a quick beta myself and when Wilson gets around to it, I will replace that chapter with this one. I didn't want it to hold it up any longer. So enjoy.

* * *

_Naruto's POV_

It's funny, now that I think about it. Just a few years back, I was standing here in the same stadium for my Chunnin Exams against Neji and back then when I won, I was treated with a standing ovation. Given that I was just a brat who wanted to be acknowledged, I soaked it up like a sponge, running around and yelling about how I kicked Neji's ass.

It was awesome.

Now, it's the total opposite. The very people who once cheered for me remained silent; some had a look of disgust on their face and others, just didn't care enough to acknowledge anything. Regardless, I didn't care. I wasn't expecting any kind of applause anyway. Why would I? I mean, who would want to cheer for someone like me.

"That's the way gaki! Way to go on showing everyone just who has the biggest balls in the village!"

I cringed, retracting my earlier thoughts. On second thought, having no one cheer for me was better than having _them_ do it. Never again will I let them come drunk to any public events.

Or allow them to have any alcoholic beverages in their possession. Period.

"No way Tsunade-sama! Not just in the village. In all the NATIONS!" Anko yelled, laughter erupting from those two. "Suck it you morons! You can't beat him! Naruto-sama is the greatest ever! Go take your sorry asses back home and cry to your mommas!"

I looked away, embarrassed by the declaration and saw Sasuke already leaving the field, clearly amused with the situation.

That rat bastard, I know you're enjoying the little outburst that those two are making. I clutch my fists, trying to keep myself from going up there and knocking them out.

"Get off the field Uzumaki!" Ibiki shouted. "I have to get the field ready for the next fight."

"Of course Ibiki." I replied, nodding to the stoic man as I made my way over to Hanabi. I saw her, from the corner of my eye the entire time during the match. I saw what happened to her and I felt responsible.

What was I suppose to say to her? Sorry that you had to see me like that? Please don't be afraid of me? I sighed, unsure of what to say.

A hundred different ways to approach and diffuse this awkward situation and the only word that I utter was, "Hi."

She turned her head and without warning, slapped me across the face. It took a brief second before my mind registered the pain. My hand instantly went up to my cheek, feeling the spot where she slapped me and my heart started to slow down. The pain of regret came back and my eyes hardened.

Before I got a chance to respond, Hanabi hugged me, her arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

"Don't ever do that to me again Naruto!" Hanabi shouted, her voice muffed by my shirt. "If I had to choose between keeping you alive and winning this stupid competition, I would gladly lose this and all future competitions just to get you back in one piece."

She continued to hug me tighter, burying her face into my chest. My eyes soften and I sighed, "I'm sorry Hanabi."

"I..."

I want to tell you about the pains that I get, the sleepless nights where I can still hear them criticizing me for my failures. The tears that come at night when I feel the burden on my shoulders, suffocating me without a second thought. I want to tell you everything but I can't. I just can't. It wouldn't be fair for someone like you, someone who is so innocent, to be associated with the likes of me.

It just wouldn't be fair to you...

"... am so sorry."

I could feel her nodding her head, and I inwardly smiled. Pulling her closer, I summoned some chakra and disappeared in a Shunshin. Reappearing inside the hallway, a couple of feet shy from the entrance to the stadium, I looked down, seeing the little bundle that currently had a death grip on me.

"Let's go get some rest okay? Who knows how long the next match would be. We have to be ready."

"I don't care."

She released her death grip on me and I found myself missing the proximity between us. It was stupid of me, to be actually having these feelings but it was inevitable. The attraction, the chemistry between us was clear as day. I think it's only a matter of time before one of us got tired of this little game that we're playing...

Her hand was then on my face, gently touching the spot where her hand slapped me. "I'm so sorry Naruto..."

I flinched slightly but I shook my head. "No, I deserved it. I shouldn't have scared you like that."

What she did next caught us by surprised, me more than her I assume. Maybe it was in the moment kind of thing but when she leaned forward and I felt her lips on my cheek, there was this good feeling inside of me.

I don't know what it was, something that I've never felt before. And why do I feel my cheeks burning?

"Thank you." Hanabi quietly replied, her cheeks blushing red. "For everything."

I merely nodded, my throat pretty much dry and was unable to find the words to respond to her. I told myself earlier on that there was this line that I absolutely cannot cross and what did I just do? I crossed over that line and disappeared over the horizon. Hell, I was so far gone that I can't even see the line anymore. The line is a dot to me.

"Earth to Naruto." Hanabi said, giggling as she found this situation amusing.

No no no. My mind started accelerating. My thoughts racing all over the place. This shouldn't be happening. If Neji was alive, he would have been the first one to Jukken me to death and then somehow bring me back to life only to Jukken me once more.

"Ahh." The unintelligent words that came out of my mouth. "Duh..."

I don't know why but she had the biggest smile on her face for some reason. Did she like seeing me like this? Looking a fish out of water?

"Come on, let's get you to the medics. I want to make sure you're in good condition before we have to compete again."

I blinked, letting her grab my hand as she lead me down the hall. There was this warm tingling sensation ever since the moment we made contact and I know she felt it because of the blush that's still on her face and how she attempt to look at me from the corner of her eye.

Looking down at our hands, I couldn't help but think.

Was it already too late to go back?

_Hanabi's POV_

Even though I went ahead and gave him a kiss on the cheek, I couldn't stop myself from blushing. No many how many times I scolded myself to stop. My body wouldn't listen.

I don't know what compelled me to kiss him like that. I would have rather gone for the lips but knowing Naruto, doing something that bold would have driven him away.

That's the last thing that I wanted. Over the past few months, I found myself growing closer to him, which was perfectly normal for partners to develop some kind of bond but this goes beyond that. I've been on teams, formed bonds with different members of the opposite sex but this was something new.

Naruto was different from everyone else. He didn't have an ego complex like most guys out there nor was he selfish, thinking of only himself. I know the stories and rumors surrounding him but I didn't care.

If Tsunade-sama and Anko didn't care, why should I?

I know. I'm a Hyuuga and there's certain pretenses that I need to live by but just seeing the way those two live. Away from the drama, ignoring the gossip. I couldn't help but admire them. My only hope was that someday, I could achieve half of what they have.

And when I look down, at our clasped hands, that dream didn't seem that far away...

"Hanabi!" I heard someone calling my name and I turned my head, recognizing my sister and her partner.

I felt Naruto tense up, the way his grip suddenly tightened and I knew something was wrong. I looked at him and silently asking if he was okay.

He closed his eyes and nodded his head, an indication that he was okay but I didn't believe it.

"How are you Hanabi?" Hinata asked, her partner TenTen giving me small wave. "I heard you won the first round and you managed to settle the old Byakugan versus Sharingan debate."

"It was nothing." I replied, not really caring for this little small talk. "Don't you have a match to prepare for sister?"

"Nope." TenTen answered, "Ino and Sakura should be here soon. We're just having a friendly competition between us females to see who has improved the most. It's a shame you couldn't team up with Anko. It would have been interesting."

"TenTen! Hinata!" Ino's loud boastful voice echoed through the hallway as they made their way over.

Great. There's more of them. I politely smiled at the new arrivals but inside, I was seething.

Can't they see that I didn't want to be here, making small talk? I sighed, of all the people that we had to run into, it's the two biggest gossips in the village.

And how come none of them was greeting Naruto? Like what the hell. It's not like he was invisible or anything and I'm positive they saw us holding hands.

Are they dense or just ignorant? I don't know if anyone ever answered that question...

"Oh hello Hanabi! That was an amazing match out there. I can't believe you were able to go head to head with Sasuke-kun." Sakura said, gushing about the match. "Ino-pig here was pouting the entire time, wishing that it was her that was facing against Sasuke-kun."

"Shove it Forehead." Ino retorted, "I just wanted to see how much I've improved and what better way than facing the best in the village?"

"And are you saying that I'm not good enough for you Ino?" TenTen interrupted, her arms crossed against her chest.

"TenTen - I'm sure that's not what she -" I injected, trying to end this conversation as soon as possible. I shifted my eyes towards Naruto, who was just standing there quietly.

"Oh my god, Hanabi! are you okay?" Sakura stepped forward and shoved Naruto away, breaking the only contact that I had with him. She grabbed my arm and it was then that I noticed that I had some small busing on my arm.

Probably from the contact from Sasuke's punches. I guess I never noticed it until now.

Everyone then cluttered around, my sister looking especially concerned. Despite all their fusing, I found myself shoving them all away. With the way they were crowding around me and grabbing me like some kind of doll pissed me off. I can deal with Sakura doing it since she was a nurse but I couldn't deal with the fact that all of them just shoved Naruto away.

Almost if he was trash that people throw away without a second thought. And that did not sit well with me.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys? Do you not see that I'm with Naruto?" I shouted, anger evident in my voice. "How can you just shove him like that Sakura! He's standing right there!"

"So what." She replied and rolled her eyes. "It's just him."

Did she just say that? Tell me she just didn't say that.

Oh hell no.

I saw that Naruto was leaning against the wall, this expression unreadable but I knew first hand just how much it hurt. When people just ignore you and pretend like you don't exist.

"Sakura, are you just pretending to be stupid or are you really mentally slow to comprehend even the basic things?"

I heard them gasp from my language but I didn't care. They interrupted _my_ time with Naruto and they had the audacity to just shove him and pretend he's not there?

"Hanabi, it's fine." I heard him whisper. "I'm... just going to go for a walk."

"No!" I yelled, surprising everyone including him. I shoved Sakura and pushed my way over to Naruto, glaring at him. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Away." He said quietly. "I forgot that I need to speak to Ibiki about something."

I can see the pain in his eyes, the same pain that I recall seeing in Anko's whenever we pass through the market area. She doesn't talk about it but I still notice.

"If you walk away, I will castrate you. Don't think I won't." I threatened. He let out a small whimper and I grabbed his hand, forcing him to stay. Turning around, I refocused my glare at the other four.

"Apologize Sakura." I demanded. "All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. You're no better than scum by the way you're acting. I've seen _dogs_ treat their kind better than you do."

"No. I will not." The medic responded. "I have nothing to say to this _filth_."

"Hanabi!" My sister stepped forward. I recognize that tone. It was the same tone father used on us when we stepped out of line. "It is you who should be apologizing. You're still young, naive and have no understanding of the world so when I say this, I only say it because I care for you. Do not associate yourself with the likes of this man. I went as far as overlooking the fact that you chose him to be your partner but I cannot and absolutely will not approve of your relationship with him."

"Approve? Are you kidding me? Since when do I need your approval to do something _sister?_"

"Hanabi... We're only looking out for you. You have no idea what he did." TenTen said, stepping in front of Sakura. "We just don't want to see you hurt... or worst... dead."

"You're too young to understand fully of the crimes he committed, the atrocities and suffering he caused so please take it from us, who know him personally, stay away from him if you don't want to end up stabbed in the back." Ino added, her back facing Naruto. "Take it from us sweetie, there are a lot of other guys out there, much better suited for you than this one."

"Ino sweetie." I sweetly replied, "Why don't you go bash your head against the wall a couple of more times. I don't think you're retarded enough just yet." Consequences be damned. I'm done standing here listening to these unimportant idiots bash Naruto. I know he would have just taken them in stride but not me. I'm Hyuuga Hanabi, who trained under Mitarashi Anko, known to be the badass of the village. If there's anything that I learned from her, it's that you don't mess with us.

"Hinata-sama." I called out to my sister respectfully. She raised her brow in question. "I appreciate all the things that you've done for me so far so I'll say this once. Ino, Sakura, TenTen, you guys should listen to this as well. If you do manage to make it to the finals and I don't hear an apology from all of you, be prepared because I'm not going to come at you with the intent to kill. I'm going to come at you with the intent to maim. If I get a chance, I will cripple you without a second thought. This is a promise and remember, I was Anko's best student."

"Stop this nonsense at once Hanabi." My sister finally said, after voicing her earlier thoughts. "You are a Hyuuga and as a Hyuuga, there are rules within the clan that we must uphold and by associating yourself with this... _thing_, you are disgracing our name. If father was still alive, he would be so disappointed in you, like I am now. Where are your morals Hanabi? The values that we were raised with. Were we not taught to distance ourselves from people who are not worth our time? I can almost guarantee you that if you continue your association with _him_, you will not get far in life. You are committing career suicide and I for one, will not let that happen to you."

The other girls nodded, agreeing with my sister.

So they think its career suicide huh?

"Then what about Tsunade-sama huh? And Hokage-sama?" I shot back, "Did they commit career suicide as well?"

"You full well know that your argument is moot Hanabi. Tsunade-sama is a well known political figure with the power to crush anyone who dares oppose her and Kakashi is... well Kakashi." Sakura replied. "Only a fool would dare to cross them."

"And only a fool would dare to cross me!"

"Hanabi." My sister let out an exasperated sigh. "Why are you being such a spoil little brat? Just let your older sister take care of you. We're family, you and I and it is my job to look out for my younger sister."

"Well excuse me for being younger than you sister." I growled. "I am terribly sorry for the inconvenience that I've caused you but I don't need your help. I am perfectly fine and if you can't tell, happy, being with Naruto."

The four of them shook their head, clearly not understanding my situation.

"That is enough."

Everyone turned around, surprised to see Naruto standing there with an angry scowl on his face.

"I know that I'm worse than scum, filth as Sakura kindly put it but still, do not forget who you are addressing. I am Naruto Uzumaki, the savior and the container of the Kyuubi. I will accept my punishment with no ill will but do not think for a moment that I will not hesitate to strike back if you dare hurt those around me. What the hell gives you the right to say any of those things? Do you think you're better than Hanabi? Because if you do, then I want a chance to prove you wrong."

I found myself shivering from the raw power that Naruto was emitting and while the other four was pretending to ignore it, standing their ground, I found myself slightly aroused by the way his commanding aura.

Yes, it was wrong but I can't help it.

He was hot. I knew that the first time I've seen him shirtless and I scolded myself for having those thoughts but what can a girl do besides lick her lips and dream?

"Jiraiya once told me something that just because your blood doesn't make you family, it's a right that you have to earn. By all rights, Hanabi has proven herself that she has the blood of the Hyuuga but the pride of the Namikaze clan. I'm telling you this right now, she is under my protection and if you dare try anything, you'll be sorry that you crossed me."

"Is that a threat _scum_?" Hinata asked.

"No, not a threat. A promise _Hinata-chan_." Naruto answered. "And it goes for the rest of you as well. This isn't a damn talk. This is an attack on Hanabi and I won't stand for it."

"Then leave." Sakura coolly retorted. "Can't you see, this entire episode, this fight, started because of you. If you weren't here, none of us would be arguing with Hanabi. If you weren't in this village, none of those people would have died!"

I gasped, shocked that she would bring up the past. Everyone here, including me, has lost someone from that war and back then, I blamed Naruto for this but I've changed. I was no longer the vindictive person that I was and all it took, was for one person to prove it to me.

I don't really understand how someone could blame Naruto for it. Yeah, I had a personal grudge against him but in the end, I've forgiven him but why are these people, the very same people who grew up with him, holding on to this grudge harder than me?

I knew Sakura crossed the line, with the way Naruto reacted. Or in a sense, not reacting at all.

"Fine." That was his only reply as he started walking away.

I stood there, speechless as he just walked away like that. Why didn't he try to defend himself?

"What the hell is with you guys?" I yelled. "How can you do that to someone who you once called a comrade? The man went through hell and back for this village and this is how you treat him? All you disgust me."

"You don't understand anything Hanabi. It would be wise if you kept your mouth shut." Hinata coldly replied, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Or what?" I challenged. "Are you going to put the seal on me sister dear? Or are you going to exile me from the clan? Because at this point, I rather be with Naruto than with anyone else here!"

I took off, not caring if I was acting like an immature four year old but I didn't care. I needed to find Naruto, make him understand that not everyone out there is like them. At his mental state, who knows what he's liable to do.

I didn't have to look far, taking note that Naruto only walked off far enough so that no one could see him but he was well within hearing distance in case things got out of hand, if they haven't already.

He was just sitting there, on the floor with his head buried into his arms. I crouched down in front of him, a small smile on my face. I knew he could have gone anywhere, given his abilities but he chose to stay here, near me.

"Naruto? It's me."

"I know." He replied, not looking up. "I'm sorry again... I didn't mean for that to happen... It's just that I couldn't keep quiet any longer when they started attacking you."

He looked up, his cerulean eyes looking at me and I couldn't help but blush. Why does he do this to me every time? The way he looks at me like I'm the only person that matters in this world...

"You know, from the moment I met you, I knew you were special Hanabi." Naruto explained. "I thought about it for a while now, wondering why that out of all the people Neji chose to say with his final words, he specifically mentioned you so I'm not the only one. You must have meant the world to him and now, you mean the world to me. I would die before anything happened to you... and well, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, you can't get rid of me that easily."

Oh crap, were those tears in my eyes?

I quickly blinked, hoping that Naruto wouldn't notice me tearing.

"There's still a lot of things you don't know about me, things that you might have heard as rumors. Some might be true, some might not be but Hanabi, if you give me a chance and that's if you only want it, I will gladly sit down and talk about my past. Not just recent events but everything. If you ask me, I'll answer."

That did it. Tears were now falling down my cheeks and I found myself sniffling. Of course I heard the rumors about him, the demon that he is, lying and stealing and backstabbing his way to the top but I didn't believe it. Not anymore. It was impossible, for someone as kind and caring as Naruto to do things like that.

I felt his thumb on my cheek, brushing off the stray tear drops. His hands were gentle, treating me if I was a priceless treasure. My heart started pounding and my mind went blank.

I felt him tugging a little and I gave in, both of us leaning forward and I closed my eyes, hoping for the best.

It was just a simple thing. The kiss that we share.

And I, for one, didn't want to stop...

_Naruto's POV_

Her lips are sweet, like strawberries. I didn't know what compelled me to do it, to pull her in for a kiss but I'm glad I did. I felt her mouth begging for entrance and I obliged.

The line be damned. Neji be damned. I know what I promised you and you were like a brother to me but if you're listening Neji. I swear on my life that if Hanabi is the one for me, I will gladly watch over her until my last dying breath. This is what I swear to you.

We kissed for what seemed to be a while now, breaking aware when we ran out of air. She tried to pull away, trying to her blush but I didn't let her. I held her steady, a smile on my face.

"Where do you think you're going?" I asked.

"Nowhere." She mumbled and I chuckle. I pull her in for a hug, which she didn't resist. I heard her sigh and I continue to smile.

We stayed like that for a while now, ignoring the loud cheering from the crowd. Judging from the noise, the next match was probably under way. "Are you ready Hanabi?" I asked.

"Yeah, let's go." She replied.

I stood up and held my hand out for her, which she gladly accepted. We walked to the medical area, our fingers still intertwined by the time we got there.

"I don't regret it Hanabi." I said, speaking up. "If I had to go through life again, and face the same bullshit and then meet you. I would do it again in a heartbeat."

"And I too you dummy." She replied, staring at me with a slight tinge in her cheeks.

We sat there, waiting for a medic to stop by but I didn't care. I just wanted to cherish this moment, because I don't know when I will another chance like this.

"What are you doing here dobe?" Sasuke walked through the door, surprised to see the both of us there.

"None of your business Uchiha." Hanabi replied, standing in front of me. "What does it matter to you?"

Ah, I guess she still hasn't forgiven him for what went down earlier. Cute, but it was unnecessary.

He looked at us, his expression unreadable but I could tell he was analyzing us.

"You kissed her."

Hanabi's eyes widened, surprised at the sudden declaration. "Wh-Why would you think we kissed? You can't just say something like that out of the blue."

"I don't see you denying it Hyuuga." Sasuke shot back, his trademark smirk on his face. "And you're still holding hands. I'm not stupid. I just don't flaunt my knowledge like Hurano."

I could hear her uttering curses under her breath and I chuckle. "What's it to you teme? You wanna do something about it?"

"No." Swift and blunt. That's the Sasuke I know. "Call her off Naruto. It starting to annoying."

I rolled my eyes and pulled Hanabi into my arms. "It's okay now. We... had an understanding. Sort of."

"I still don't like it." She replied, her eyes still glaring at Sasuke.

"Believe what you want. Just leave me out of it and if you guys start making out, please do me a favor and close the curtains. I'm traumatized enough already."

Smart ass. Maybe I should let Hanabi have another go at him.

"At least he's getting some." Hanabi answered and I choked, coughing at her response.

Where the hell did that just come from? Sounds like a line from Anko's book. I could hear the bastard snickering from here and I felt myself blushing.

"Oh I'm so jealous that the dobe finally got some. Someone stop the world! It's a damn national holiday!"

"Oh why don't you -"

Okay, that's enough. I easily turned her around and kissed her, catching her by surprise but she welcomed it away.

_Two hours later  
Konoha Stadium  
Naruto's POV_

"It gives me great pleasure, that the winners of the first annual Jounin Competition is none other than Hyuuga Hanabi and Uzumaki Naruto!" Kakashi announced, his eyes twinkling in amusement.

People started to clap, not for me but for her and I could hear the wild cat calls, courtesy of Tsunade and Anko. Seriously, how can Kakashi let them sit there drunk? And why are they still drinking? There has to be a law about this.

I took a step back and let Hanabi stand up there, enjoying the moment. I was proud of her, of what she became in a few short weeks.

She turned around, confusion on her face when she realized that I wasn't standing next to her. She gestured for me to come back up but I shook my head. This was her spotlight. Not mine.

Shaking her head, she reached back and grabbed my arms, intertwining her fingers once more and tugged me forward. I gave her a small grin which she gladly returned.

No words needed to be spoken between us. It was unnecessary.

"Before I conclude this event, I was told that Tsunade-sama had an announcement to make."

I turned my head, surprised written across my face and I groaned. This cannot end well.

Why, why did she have to make an announcement now.

Hanabi chuckled, "It can't be that bad Naruto."

"You don't know her like I do..." I muttered, a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Hello all!" Tsunade shouted into the microphone. "I know Kakashi here has a huge prize lined up for those two but I'm going to one up him! That's right, I'm going to outdo our Hokage! Instead of giving more training sessions, I'm going to invite the winners to spend a week in Suna with me. All expense paid!"

Hanabi's eyes widened and she started to smile. Like a big smile.

I catch Tsunade's eyes and there was this evil glean in her eye, something that promises unspeakable doom for me.

"Can you believe it Naruto? Not only do we get personal training sessions from Hokage-sama, we're also going to go to Suna on vacation!"

Her laughter was infectious and I found myself smiling as a result. Despite the evil scheme that Tsunade was somehow behind, what's the worst that can happen? I've already been through a war, suffered injuries that would cripple and kill anyone else, convinced a demon to become my friend, etc. The list was endless.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that she can do that will make me squirm anymore.

"Oh and I forgot. They are also invited to dinner at my place tomorrow night."

And I may have spoken too soon.

* * *

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	10. Date With Disaster

I wish I own this series, god imagine the money I would be making?

Also, if you don't like my story, just don't read it. In fact, stop pestering me with your lame PMs about it. I get that this is the interweb so whatever but until you're successful like that chick in 50 shades of color, you will be blocked.

* * *

_Naruto's POV_

"Are you sure you want to go? You know it's not too late to turn back right?"

"That would be rude Naruto, after all the trouble Tsunade-sama went through to set this up." Hanabi replied, a stern look on her face. "Besides, I think it'll be fun." I opened my mouth to respond but before I could, she cut me off. "And don't even think about using a Kage Bushin to get out of it."

I immediately closed my mouth, wondering how she knew about my escape plan. "But."

"No."

I sighed, taking another step towards the imminent doom that was waiting for me. Gotta think fast. What can I do to stop this from happening? Don't get me wrong, I would like nothing more than to spend time with Hanabi and baa-chan but... just not with the both of them at the same time.

Forget about all the suicide missions and numerous death matches that I experienced so far in my life, those things are nothing compared to the embarrassing stories that baa-chan has on me. From the moment I heard we were having dinner with her, it could only end in two ways.

With me dying from embarrassment or me dying from baa-chan's cooking.

"Why don't we get her a bottle of Sake?" I asked, trying to delay the trip. "We can't turn up empty handed. That would be rude. I know a great stand that's about fifteen minutes away."

Hanabi merely smiled at me and with her left hand, pulled out a scroll. My eyes drifted through it and I coughed, slightly choking from the information written on it. "Are you kidding me? How do you even know someone like him?"

She giggled and pocketed the scroll. "Well, considering that he's my godfather. I should know him pretty well."

I stared at her, shocked at the news. "Tokegi Himura is your godfather?"

"Yup." She answered, kissing me on the cheek. "I'm glad that someone like me is able to make the great Uzumaki Naruto speechless."

What are the chances? One in a million, no one in a billion that my girlfriend has Tokegi Himura as her godfather. Not only is that man known throughout the elemental nations as the finest sake maker, he is also known as the master of the drunken fist style.

"I'm not speechless... just caught off guard." I muttered, my fingers still intertwined with hers. "Don't you think giving her a bottle of Tokegi's finest Sake is going over the top?"

It was a weak excuse but I'm desperate. I don't know what else to do.

Hanabi rolled her eyes, "My godfather has more than enough sake to last him three lifetimes, one less won't kill him. Besides, in exchange for this one bottle, we're going to be having dinner with him when we're in Suna and -."

"Wh-what? I'm meeting your godfather?"

What kind of crap is this? Meet the family week? I completely stopped walking, my system still in complete shock. Hanabi felt my fingers slip out of her hand and she turned around, an amused smile on her face.

"Are you that nervous Naruto?" She coyly asked. "If you are, I can always ask him to drop by Konoha and we can all sit down together. You, me, Tsunade..." She left the thought hanging in the air but the impact was immediate.

"No!" I shouted, "Absolutely not! When hell freezes over will I let baa-chan know about this! Promise me you'll never mention this to her."

Hanabi giggled and walked up to me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "He's important to me Naruto. Just one dinner with him."

I sighed and nodded my head. "Fine, but in exchange, whatever happens tonight stays between us. You will not judge me nor will you tell anyone about anything. Not even Anko. Deal?" I held out my hand, wanting a handshake to seal this agreement.

"Deal."

Instead of the traditional handshake that I was expecting, she ended up sealing the deal with a kiss, not that I was complaining. Ever since our first kiss back in the competition, I found myself drawn to her more and more everyday. There was something about her that's sucking me in. I had crushes before, feelings about girls back in my childhood days but what I feel for Hanabi... it's something that I can't describe but I know for a fact that what I'm feeling for her is different and that, excites me.

The more time we spent together, the more I felt my restraints giving in and I felt myself longing for her touch, her lips on mine. It was like a hunger that I can't seem to satisfy.

"Wow." I said, after pulling away for air. I could still see the faint pink tinge on her cheeks and I chuckle. "That's one way to seal a deal."

"I agree." Hanabi answered, her eyes looking into mine. I couldn't help but smile, pulling her a little closer to me. I took a deep breath, the smell of jasmine infiltrating my senses. I don't know what happened just now but just seeing her made me lean forward, connecting our lips for a second time.

_Hanabi's POV_

We are so late. I can't believe that we spent the last ten minutes making out, in front of Tsunade-sama's house no less! Just the way his lips felt on mine was enough to give me goosebumps. "We need to hurry up Naruto." I said, dragging my reluctant boyfriend through the gates.

"She won't mind Hanabi! I swear!" He answered, slowly taking his time to reach the door. I couldn't help but smile at his antics. It would seem like my boyfriend is nervous to have dinner with Tsunade-sama after all.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I asked, taking delight in his fidgeting. "She's not going to eat you alive Naruto. Tsunade-sama is a very nice person."

"No she's not!" He quickly replied, his tone hushed. "You don't know her like I do. You see her as this perfect role model for women kind but underneath that exterior, lies a sinister person. She drinks, she gambles and she doesn't let go of people's embarrassments." He sighed, "But... the woman's always been behind me no matter what the situation is. Fine, you win Hanabi. Let's go ring the bell."

I inwardly smiled, celebrating that my persistence finally paid off. It was no easy task, getting Naruto to come here. For the past week, he's been trying to convince me not to come, to turn down the invitation which naturally meant he was trying to hide something. What he was trying to hide, I didn't know but that didn't stop me from finding out.

At first, I tried the discreet approach, driving the conversation to specific topics that would make him unaware of my plan but that quickly went south when I found myself on top of him, my hands on his chest. To this day, I still blush at that particular memory.

Once I realized that discretion wouldn't work with Naruto, I went for the direct approach. Of course, he merely turned the tables against me and what was suppose to be my interrogation turned out to be me ranting about the lack of high ranking female officials in Konoha. It was only after I went home that I realized what really happened.

Just as he was about to ring the bell, the door quickly opened with the host of the house standing before us. "Hanabi! Brat! It's about time that you guys show up. What happen? Did you guys get lost on the way here?"

"Tsunade-sama." I properly greeted. "Please excuse our lateness. We had an issue that needed to be dealt with first."

"Baa-chan." Naruto replied, his arms folded against his chest.

"Naruto!" I hissed, my face growing red with embarrassment from his lack of respect. "Don't call her that!"

Tsunade snorted, "Don't mind him Hanabi. He's been calling me that since he was little. If I couldn't change his mind then, I certainly cannot change his mind now. Although, with you being in his life now, maybe I can finally get some respect out of the brat."

Was that an approval from her? My eyes darted to Naruto who merely rolled his eyes but he nodded his head. Smiling, I bowed my head once more, "I will try Tsunade-sama."

This actually means a lot to me, to get Tsunade-sama's approval. I've never been this far in a relationship where I would meet my boyfriend's parents but seeing as how Tsunade-sama is the closest thing to one for Naruto, it was basically the same thing in my mind.

I'm not going to lie, I was probably more nervous than Naruto. From what Kurenai told me, she was so lucky she didn't piss on herself when she met the Third Hokage, who was Asuma's father.

"You can call me Tsunade Hanabi. Just don't make me a real grandmother yet okay?" She responded, winking and I felt my cheeks burning. "Are you guys going to stand out there all day or are you going to come in?"

I started to stutter, surprised at the comment but I felt Naruto grabbing my hand, leading me inside. "Tsu-Tsunade-sama, it's not like that!" I tried explaining but it was futile. The idea was already in her head.

The medic laughed, "Oh? Then tell me what kind of business you had standing outside my gate for the past ten minutes or so? Did you guys find something interesting that made you want to inspect the durability of my wall?"

"I had to fix my shirt baa-chan." Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "It got loose on the way here and I didn't want to look like a snob you know."

"Uh huh and I bet Hanabi found what she was looking for inside your shirt right? Or was that on the side of your neck?"

I quickly turned my head, my eyes focused on his neck and what I saw continued to set my cheeks on fire. There on the side on his neck was a hickey that I gave him just outside Tsunade-sama's house and since we got caught up in our little makeout session, I forgot to check to see if I left any sort of mark on him.

"It looks like Hanabi branded you as hers Naruto." Tsunade laughed, her hands clutching her stomach. "And you guys aren't even married yet. Wait until Shizune hears about this."

Oh my god, I can't believe me, Hyuuga Hanabi, could have been so careless. I wanted to make a good impression on her and look how well that turned out. She probably thinks that I'm just another girl whose going to use Naruto. I can see it now, she's going to kindly take me into her backyard and beat me senseless.

"Easy baa-chan. Hanabi's new to all this. Don't scare her off with your cruel jokes just yet." Naruto said, pulling me into his embrace. I silently thanked him because if he hadn't done that, I would have been on the floor hyperventilating.

"Are you okay? I tried to warn you about this side of her." He whispered as Tsunade walked on ahead, a sly grin on her face. I nodded my head, surprised to see this side of the legendary sannin. The entire image that I had for Tsunade-sama just shattered into a billion pieces.

Naruto was right. She wasn't just a sannin and medic. She was what Anko wanted to be. I shuddered, the thought of Anko eventually turning out to be like Tsunade-sama brought chills down my back.

"Are you kids coming or are you actually going to give me my first grandchildren in the hallway?" I heard her holler and we quickened our pace, the blush still clearly present by the time we entered the kitchen.

When we finally entered the kitchen, I was expecting something ravishing, fit for royalty but instead, it was the total opposite. Not only did I do a double take on the kitchen, I also did it for the person sitting besides the table.

"Ho-hokage-sama." I said, stuttering once more. Why is he here? How is he here? I put a hand to my heart, trying to calm itself down. I don't think my heart can take it anymore surprises. And what is with that book he's reading?

"Eh? Kakashi's here as well?" Naruto exclaimed, letting his head bang against the wall. He quickly recovered and narrowed his eyes. "How the hell did you manage to escape the paperwork? I made sure that you would have to stay in the office all day."

"Oh? That was you?" Kakashi asked, his eyebrow raised in curiosity but his tone dropped several degrees. "You caused that huge disturbance in the market that required twenty ANBU personnel to sort out, not to mention three teams of genin to clean up? You're responsible for that mess?"

"Nope, not me. Didn't do a damn thing and you have no proof."

I dropped my jaw a little, completely caught off guard by the scene before me. "Let go of me Kakashi!" I heard Naruto yell, being stuck in a headlock by the Hokage. "Don't make me kick your ass like last time!"

I was completely speechless, unsure of how to act in a situation like this. My expectations were again shattered; to see the Hokage who is respected and loved throughout the village... acting like a teenager.

"You'll get used to it." Tsunade said, holding out a cup of tea for me. "This is just their way of saying hello."

I graciously took the tea, noticing that it was Oolong Tea. My favorite. "Um, Tsunade-sama, with all due respect, Is it alright for Hokage-sama to be here?" I asked.

"Yeah, its fine. He's probably here to avoid the paperwork." She replied, snorting at the excuse. "And to score a free meal."

"Ah, that's not true Tsunade. I was able to successfully complete my paperwork on time today. What kind of kage would I be if I didn't use all my available resources?"

"Which meant you used the Kage Bushin and ditched work." Tsunade asked, smirking as she challenged Kakashi's excuse. "What kind of example will you be setting for the future generation of Konoha if people found out?"

"The great kind." He replied and then he turned his attention to me. I could feel everyone else just standing still, waiting to see what was going to happen next. If we were keeping count, this would be the first time I'm personally meeting the Hokage and the second time that I'm meeting Tsunade-sama.

The little girl in me is probably screaming for joy but the older, mature woman is probably sweating right now.

Woe is me.

_Naruto's POV_

Uh oh, Kakashi finally turned his attention to Hanabi and I could see her squirming under his gaze. Stupid Kakashi, using the same intimidation technique that you used on me when I was a genin. Of course, it would probably be ten times more effective since he's now the Hokage.

I quickly elbowed the man in the stomach, causing him to wince slightly. "That hurt Naruto." He replied, faking injury in his voice. "All I wanted was to ask how you guys are doing, seeing as how you two are my favorite couple."

I rolled my eyes, scoffing at his lame attempt in finding out the truth. "Fine Kakashi. Just fine." I answered, dodging the question.

"Then why was Tsunade telling me about you kids doing the dirty out in the hallway earlier? or was it in her garden rolling around without clothes? I could never get those facts straight."

Hanabi spit out her tea, the question catching her by surprise. "N-no Ho-Hokage-sama. We weren't doing anything like that."

"If that's what you want me to believe Hanabi." Kakashi replied, humor present in his voice. "Now tell me, how has our little Naru-chan been treating you?"

I banged my head on the table, regretting that I didn't get to warn her about my nickname from my childhood years.

"Naru-chan?" Hanabi asked, turning her eyes on me. "That's so cute Naruto. I would have never pictured you as someone who had this kind of nickname."

"Oh there were others too Hanabi but Naru-chan was a personal favorite among us." Kakashi answered, "Why, there was this one nickname -"

My eyes widened, already know which nickname he was going to use. "No! haha, just Naru-chan was my only nickname." I quickly shouted, intervening before this got out of hand.

"Can I call you Naru-chan?" Hanabi asked teasingly. "Although, I don't think I would use the word little though..."

I let out a groan, knowing just how this will turn out when we leave this place. I can definitely see Anko's influence on her.

"If you thought that was cute, let me tell you about the time when I first met our little Naru-chan here." Kakashi said, putting his limited edition Icha Icha Paradise away.

"Oh I got stories too." Tsunade added, the tea in her hand forgotten. "Oh how fast our little Naru-chan grows up."

"No way." I said, gaining everyone's attention. "We won't be talking about it."

The biggest surprise wasn't from Tsunade or Kakashi since they know I don't like talking about the past, particularly my past but the surprise came from Hanabi who had a deep look of regret on her face.

"I'm sorry Naruto." She said, regret on her face. "I didn't mean to cross the line but it's just that I like you so much and I don't know who else I can turn to when I want to know more about you."

I closed my eyes, guilt now on my conscience once again.

"I know I could just ask you but it's not the same. I want to know more about you Naruto but I also want to know about you from people who care about you."

It wasn't her fault. God, I feel like an ass when all she wanted to do was to understand my past but a part of me is screaming no. No that I shouldn't be telling her or else I would be scaring her off.

"Okay." I whispered, going against myself to agree with her request. "But I will be the one telling the story."

Hanabi looked at me carefully, taking my hands into hers. "Are you sure? I don't want to push you when you're not ready."

I shook my head, disagreeing with her. "It was time anyway... right guys?"

The other two snorted. "It's about damn time." Baa-chan answered, "Remind me to knock some sense into this brat later Hanabi."

She laughed. The sweet melody of her voice filled my ears and felt myself drawn to her. The song of the siren as Ero-sennin would put it. He always said that the voice of the woman is never to be underestimated but appreciated. I never understood him when I was younger since I thought he was just trying to corrupt me but just hearing her laugh was enough for me to understand his message.

"My childhood wasn't exactly normal. I wasn't exactly normal either so I guess it both worked out." I said, chuckling. "Growing up as an orphan was something that I don't wish on anyone. You miss out on so many things in life. A mother's hug. A father's pat on the head. You miss out on these little things that others would consider irrelevant. Everyday was a struggle for me, mainly due to the guy in my stomach but because of who I am, prejudice was a common thing for me. The third had tried to make my life easier, visiting me when I was alone, putting ANBU outside my door so I was able to get through the night which Kakashi... thanks for the birthday present when I was five. I liked that pinwheel toy."

"I always thought you knew."

I nodded my head, "Of course. You were the only person I know that had white hair. You should have covered that with a Genjutsu by the way. More effective."

Tsunade laughed, "ID'ed by a five year old. That is so sad Kakashi."

"Beaten by a rookie with a half baked Rasengan is more embarrassing I would say." Kakashi retorted. "And let's not forget about the time he wiped you out in cards with only a two and three over your four of a kind."

"Lies!" Tsunade shouted, "He cheated!"

Laughing to myself, I took Hanabi's hands into mine, feeling the warmth and comfort coming from her. She leaned forward and kissed me, catching everyone by surprise. After a wolf call from Tsunade, we broke apart, with her head leaning against my shoulder. "What was that for?" I whispered.

"No reason." She replied, and gestured me to continue.

I let out a small cough, moving onward to my genin days. "Life did get a little better once I entered the academy and graduated. Not at the top of the class -"

"No one would mistakenly take you for one anyway. You were the dead last of the academy for two years straight." Kakashi interjected, causing Hanabi to giggle once more.

"Well, this dead last caught a traitor and learned an B-Rank technique so suck it Kakashi." I retorted, "Anyway, like I was saying, after I graduated, I was assigned to Team Seven, and the rest was history."

"Idiotic history." Kakashi said, "You forgot to mention that we had an avenger, a fan girl and a dumbass loud mouth with no talent."

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Kakashi to tell my girlfriend things that I didn't want her to know. Why don't you just tell her about the time I ate a poison blueberry? I'm sure she would get a kick out of that one. I gritted my teeth and smiled, giving Kakashi his small victory. I make a mental note to torture his life at a later point.

"Ignoring the comment from our resident cyclops here, after my first genin year, things went south for a bit until Ero-sennin, or Jiraiya, decided to take me on a trip to find baa-chan here."

"You were the one who brought back Tsunade-sama?" Hanabi asked, her eyes widened at the surprise. "We were told that she accepted some kind of proposal from the council."

"No. That was me." I softly replied, kissing the top of her head. "It almost killed me but I made her see it my way."

"Aside from being the most stubborn, annoying brat alive, you managed to do the impossible." Tsunade replied, a grin on her face.

"After I brought her back, I decided that I wasn't strong enough, not yet anyway and with Akatsuki out for my head, I decided to leave the village, to train and get stronger but what I didn't know was that Pein, the leader, saw things differently. Instead of taking their time to scout and move discreetly, they came here, tearing up the village and well, you know what happened."

"And it wasn't his fault. I don't know why people blamed him for this shit." Baa-chan reached out and gently grabbed Hanabi's hand. "It was the mistake of the council to withheld information like this from Kakashi. Hell, if Kakashi knew -"

"It's fine Tsunade-sama." Hanabi answered, "I'm not that same girl anymore. I'm old enough to make my own decision and it's my decision to stay with Naruto and besides, I've already forgiven him. I know my cousin well enough that he wouldn't want me to hold a grudge against someone whom he respected. I don't know if Neji-niisan ever told you but he really respected you Naruto. Not as a comrade but as a friend, a brother."

"I... I didn't know that." I answered.

I never knew that Neji held me up in such high regards. To me, he wasn't just a friend. He was a brother that I never had. Even though he was a year older than me, it didn't feel that way. The times we talked, the spars that we had. We truly were like brothers.

"I honor his memory by living my life the way I want it and I want to be with someone that truly understands me for who I am."

"You can't find anyone better than our little Naru-chan here." Kakashi said,

"I think you're right about Naruto here but let's be clear about one thing." Hanabi answered, a predatory smirk on her face.

"Oh? And what is that?"

"He's my Naru-chan."

I groaned at that nickname but before I could do anything else, Hanabi tugged on my shirt and I happily complied, capturing her lips once more. Her hands went around my neck, pulling me deeper while my hands went around her waist, pulling her closer. I could feel the emotions coming from her. Happiness. Sadness. Love. Hope.

"Thank you." I whispered into her ear. I felt her shiver and I smiled. "I'm glad you're here with me."

She nodded, leaning her back on to my shoulder. As I looked around, I saw Tsunade sitting there with the biggest smile on her face while Kakashi put down his teacup. It was times like this that I found myself enjoying life, spending it with people that I consider my family.

"So did you even get a chance to read Gaara's letter yet?" Tsunade asked, changing the subject.

"Gaara? As in the Kazekage Gaara? You didn't tell me you knew him."

"Sorry, I didn't think it would come up." I replied. "I'll fill you in on it later. And no, not yet baa-chan. Why?"

"Baka!" I never knew how she does it but every single time, her hand manages to slip through my defenses and slap me on the back of my head. "You were suppose to have read it and given him an answer last week!"

She sighed. "But luckily for you, I already told Gaara that we would be there next week so while you're off doing god knows what with the other annoying brat, Hanabi and I will be off spending the day together with Temari. You remember her don't you Naruto?"

"Yeah." I answered, laughing nervously. The idea of leaving Hanabi alone with both baa-chan and Temari immediately set off warning bells in my head. Kakashi quietly tapped the table and held up his hands in a prayer.

I mentally groaned, both of us males knowing full well what kind of danger it is with leaving your girlfriend with people you're close with. "At least tell me Kankuro is going to be there."

"Like I said, the other brat found something and he's waiting for you to show up before they go accomplish it."

Again, warning bells started going off. Maybe it was the past experiences that taught me this lesson but whenever you start hearing bells, it's time to bail.

"Then again, I don't think I can make it baa-chan... Kakashi might need me for another mission." I shot a hopeful look towards my old sensei, praying that he would understand the message. My eyes started blinking, hoping it would get his attention away from his stupid book.

"Can't help you there Naruto. I already promised Gaara that you would go assist him."

I dropped my head to the table, feeling defeated. "How bad can it be?" Hanabi asked, whispering into my ear. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

I couldn't even turn my head to look at her, knowing full well that when someone says those two phrases, it will always turn out to be bad. Hell, the last time Kakashi said that to me, I fought my way through three ambushes from three different villages. I came back looking like I took a trip through the meat grinder.

Knowing that there was just no way out of this, I sighed. Maybe Hanabi's right. Just how bad can it be?

* * *

_Hope you guys enjoyed it. I didn't know that people were still following this story which came as a wonderful surprise to me. Cheers guys. See you in the next chapter!_


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